Schroder improving teammates
Dennis Schroder keeps drawing praise.
The Nets’ point guard has played 14 games since being acquired ahead of the trade deadline, and has thrived. Since arriving in Brooklyn, Schroder is averaging 14.6 points and 5.9 assists, and his teammates have noticed the improved ball movement with him in the lineup.
“His court-mapping, how he’s manipulating the defense is great,” interim coach Kevin Ollie said after practice on Tuesday. “Him being an extension of me on the court, because I can’t play, and him understanding what I want and him out there transferring it is great for our offense and defense.”
NETS NOTES
Schroder has impacted the rest of his teammates, particularly center Nic Claxton. The two have run a plethora of pick-and-rolls since Schroder’s arrival, and Claxton has broken out offensively as a result. Claxton has averaged 16.6 points per game the last five games, up from his 12.3 points per game mark for the season.
“He really just, he treats the game right,” Claxton said Tuesday of Schroder. “He’s a true competitor, and he holds everybody accountable. He’s a winner. He has really good work habits, he works on his body a lot. And then, we’re just trying to figure it out right now, it’s all starting to come together. It’s tough being thrown in at the middle of the season, but it’s all starting to come together.”
➤ Cameron Johnson, who has missed the past three games with a right ankle sprain, is probable for Wednesday’s clash against the Magic. He practiced in contact drills on Tuesday.
Johnson was not with the team during the first three games of their road trip, but after the team briefly returned to Brooklyn, Johnson will join them for the last two games of the five-game trip.
“It was great to see Cam here, [we] miss him a lot,” Ollie said. “He had a good workout with [assistant coach Adam Caporn] the day before and he had a good workout today. And then we get with our medical staff and see if his availability is right for [Wednesday].”
➤ Nets owner Joe Tsai also owns the WNBA’s Liberty, who announced on Tuesday that Fox 5 New York will be their new official television partner. The team will split its locally broadcast games between Fox 5 and My9 during the 2024 season.