CREATIVE COACHING
Atkinson can flex lineup muscles as Napier, RHJ return
Kenny Atkinson wasn’t going to tip his hand just yet, but the Nets coach is ready to get creative as his team inches back to full health.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Shabazz Napier are set to make their season debuts Wednesday, giving the Nets (1-2) a boost they were missing through their first three games. Their presence against the Cavaliers (0-3) also will provide Atkinson the flexibility to roll out some new lineups.
“With Rondae back and Shabazz, we’re going to throw in some lineups that no one’s seen before, not even myself,” Atkinson said Tuesday before the team flew to Cleveland. “We’re just going to have to feel that and work it out and as guys come back from injury and guys are out and guys are in, we gotta figure that one out.”
Atkinson was also noncommittal about his starting five, though Hollis-Jefferson is an option, in addition to shooting guard Allen Crabbe, who is still building up his minutes off the bench after missing time with an ankle injury.
D’Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert, Joe Harris, Jared Dudley and Jarrett Allen started all three games. The experienced Dudley has been holding down Hollis-Jefferson’s spot at the four while the longest-tenured Net was out with a hip injury and then for the birth of his first child.
The Nets are not yet whole, with Treveon Graham (hamstring) and DeMarre Carroll (ankle) down for an extended time while energetic rookie Rodions Kurucs (ankle) is out Wednesday, but they are closer to getting there.
“Welcome additions,” Atkinson said. Napier was brought in to protect against injuries at point guard, except he was spent almost all of the preseason in the training room. He strained his right hamstring in a practice during the first week of camp, forcing him to sit out all of the preseason games. He went through a hard practice Monday and came out of it feeling good Tuesday.
Now, more than three months after signing a twoyear deal, he is ready to make his Nets debut.
“Very anxious, but at the same time, I understand the process,” Napier said. “It’s kind of a long journey, but I got out here [Monday] as well as today, so it’s been an exciting time for myself.”
Napier, who was a two- time NCAA champion at Connecticut, is coming off his best NBA season, in which he averaged 8.7 points and shot 42 percent for the Trail Blazers, mostly coming off the bench behind Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
The 27-year-old will have to build up his minutes after missing nearly a month, but provides a new weapon for Atkinson.
“I think he’ll be that sparkplug,” Atkinson said. “I think he gives us something defensively. He creates turnovers, he’s a ball-pressure guy, he gets into guys, he’s fast. Then offensively, he can give you a punch and get 10 points in 10 minutes. The guy’s got NBA experience. He’ll help us.”
Napier said he likes what he has seen so far from the Nets, even though he hasn’t yet been a part of the fold. He said he can help some of their turnover woes (they lead the NBA with 19.7 per game) while playing a part in Atkinson’s new lineups.
“I guess just being myself and going out there and being the leader I am and figuring out how to do that. When I go on the court, it’s just trying to figure out what I can do to help the team,” Napier said. “That may change from game to game. It just depends on what that game tells me to do that day.”