Jordi Fernandez isn’t frightened about Nic Claxton’s low shot totals.
Requested after Friday’s loss to the Magic about Claxton, who hasn’t tried greater than 9 discipline objectives in any of his 14 appearances this season, the first-year Nets coach mentioned he desires to see enchancment in one other space of the $97-million heart’s sport.
“Nic had six shots, he was 4-for-6, and obviously, there’s different ways because he’s touching the ball and he rebounded well,” Fernandez mentioned. “However his screening’s obtained to be higher. We play by way of him, but in addition he’s gotta set screens and rolls.
“And the angles of those screens, this is a team that goes under on everything, and what you have to do is set flatter screens and you gotta find better angles and roll. … He can take a little bit more shots, but he’s gotta screen better.”
The 6-foot-11 Claxton scored eight factors with seven rebounds and three blocked photographs in 26 minutes off the bench in opposition to Orlando, whom the Nets will face once more Sunday at Barclays Heart, after sitting out the earlier two video games as a result of again soreness.
Nets ahead Cam Johnson mentioned teammates weren’t shocked by little-used guard Tyrese Martin’s 30-point breakout — together with an 8-for-10 night time from 3-point vary — Wednesday night time in Phoenix.
That efficiency earned Martin his first NBA begin (eight factors in 25 minutes) Friday in opposition to the Magic.
“Just because he wasn’t playing doesn’t mean that we didn’t have full confidence in him,” Johnson mentioned. “He’s been taking part in in all preseason pickup [games], and in all preseason as we’ve been scrimmaging.
“Everybody in our building knows what he’s capable of, knows the type of shooter he is, knows the type of competitor he is and everything else he’s added to his game. So for him to step up in that moment and to be able to produce that, it still takes a lot of guts, so that’s where his credit is. But as a player, it’s what we expect from him.”
Dennis Schroder will likely be accessible Sunday after lacking Friday’s sport for private causes. … Cam Thomas (hamstring), Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) and Noah Clowney (ankle) stay out.
