DALLAS — It could have taken Danny Wolf a month or so to get into the Nets’ rotation, nevertheless it didn’t take him lengthy to appear like a rotation participant.
The primary-round decide from Michigan has stepped proper in and carried out, impressing each teammates and coaches with not solely his consolation on the ball however his confidence.
Getting into Friday’s 119-111 loss to the Mavericks, Wolf has exceeded all expectations when it comes to his supposedly middling jumper, his 44.4 p.c taking pictures from 3-point vary second finest amongst all rookies. He added 17 factors, seven rebounds and an help within the loss.
And since getting recalled from the G-League, his dimension has given Brooklyn a stable frontcourt rotation.
“Danny all the time performs like he belongs,” coach Jordi Fernández mentioned earlier than. “When he’s had the chance, he’s taken benefit of the chance. Going again to Macao, he had some guys in entrance of him. And that was communicated, prefer to the remainder of the fellows. It’s my job. Was I proper or unsuitable? I don’t know. However when he had the prospect to play, took benefit of his minutes.
“When he had the chance to play with Lengthy Island, he took benefit of his minutes. And now that he’s within the rotation, he’s making the most of his minutes. So I’m very proud of him. He’s a particular participant as a result of at his dimension he can achieve this many various issues. And nonetheless attempting to determine it out as a result of he’s displaying me what he’s able to doing. He’s able to doing lots of issues — good issues.”
These issues revolve round playmaking abilities that belie his 6-foot-11 body.
Wolf started Friday averaging 12.8 factors and 5.6 rebounds within the Nets’ previous 5 video games.
Each the Nets and Mavericks got here into Friday on 5 days’ relaxation. Final Saturday, the Nets beat the Pelicans 119-101 whereas Dallas beat the Rockets.
“Clearly, maintain your physique is extraordinarily vital at this level,” Fernández mentioned. “We performed three in 4 [days] earlier than Thanksgiving after which a 5 in seven. You’ll be able to think about how exhausting that’s to your physique, so restoration is vital. After which get higher. We had three actually good practices. And that’s what it’s all about. Get 1 p.c higher.”
Brooklyn referred to as up guard Nolan Traore earlier than Friday’s recreation. The teenager level guard averaged 18.8 factors and 6.4 assists for Lengthy Island, one in every of three gamers within the G-League averaging no less than six dimes on 40 p.c from deep.
Over his previous 5 G-League tilts from Dec. 1 on, he’d averaged 22.2 factors and seven.6 assists on 58.3 p.c taking pictures, together with 60 p.c from deep.
