Trendon Watford made his season debut after being sidelined since coaching camp with a hamstring damage.
“It just felt good to be back out there with the guys, just have a safe, healthy game,” stated Watford, with a Cheshire Cat grin. “So, first and foremost, that just felt good, so I’m glad to be out there.”
Watford had 4 factors, three assists and three boards in 13:26 on Sunday’s 114-104 loss to the Knicks. He admitted to being a bit winded in his first stay motion since final season.
“I was a little tired, I’m not going to lie, but it felt good though,” Watford stated. “I just knew when I was coming in and how long I was going to play. Three-minute stints, four-minute stints, so it was easy just to play hard, try not to think as much and just play.”
The 24-year-old Watford has a novel point-forward sport.
With Ben Simmons pressured into beginning at heart as a consequence of Nic Claxton’s absence, Watford helped with the ball motion.
The Nets dished out 31 assists on 32 baskets Sunday.
That 96.9 % help proportion is the best in a sport in franchise historical past, and the best for any group for the reason that Chicago Bulls vs. Portland (97.4 %) in Jan. 2001.
Cam Johnson had 22 factors on 7-for-11 capturing, 4-for-7 from deep.
He already has 5 20-point outings in simply 14 video games this season, after having solely six all of final season.
Cam Thomas has been one of many high scorers within the league this season, however has been charged with bettering his passing, protection and effectivity.
Requested if Thomas is probably the most pure scorer he’d seen, Fernandez replied: “I’ve been lucky to be round nice gamers. Everybody is exclusive, proper? It’s simply unfair to match Kyrie [Irving] to Cam, or Jamal [Murray] to Cam, guys that I’ve been round — one among my favorites, Delonte West.
“But the reality is Cam is being himself, he’s trying to get better. My message to him from the beginning was, ‘your efficiency has got to go up,’ your playmaking has got to go up, your turnovers got to go down, and your rebounding and your defense have to improve. He’s doing all that.”
Ziaire Williams had seven factors in 24:00 after having been questionable with proper hip tightness. Bojan Bogdanovic (left foot damage restoration), Claxton (decrease again pressure), Day’Ron Sharpe (left hamstring pressure) had been all out, with Jaylen Martin and Dariq Whitehead each on G League project.
