Second night of a back-to-back after an overtime thriller against the powerhouse Denver Nuggets, where 3x MVP Nikola Jokic dropped a triple-double on the Brooklyn Nets. Going against the human highlight reel, Ja Morant, it was clear that the Nets were at a disadvantage with this being a scheduled loss. Dennis Schroder, however, did not get the memo, as he completely dismembered the Memphis Grizzlies, scoring 33 points and 8 assists on 11-14 FG, defeating the Grizzlies 119-106.
Dennis Schroder has looked like an MVP candidate during the first 5 games of the season, averaging 24.6 points, 2 rebounds, and 8.2 assists on an absurd 72% TS. Against the Grizzlies, he was slicing through the defense, getting to the rim at will and generating open jump shots for his teammates. Thanks to Coach Fernandez’s offense that promotes ball movement leading to quality looks from 3, the Nets outshot the Grizzlies from 3PT, shooting 37% on 41 attempts compared to Memphis’ 30% on 27 attempts. Defensively, the Nets did a phenomenal job containing Ja Morant, who only scored 14 points on 5-16 FG and was forced into 5 turnovers.
The players who gave the Nets the most trouble were Jaren Jackson Jr., who scored 30 points on 10-12 FG, and rookie big man Zach Edey, who scored 13 points on 6-9 FG. Defensively, with Nic Claxton out due to injury management, Dorian Finney-Smith and Ben Simmons were forced to guard the 7'4" Edey and 6'11" Jackson, who took advantage of the mismatch. While Jackson had a fantastic game, the Nets’ defense was able to disrupt everyone else with their pesky perimeter defense and ability to get into the passing lanes, with former Grizzly Ziaire Williams intercepting multiple passes for breakaway dunks in transition.
Speaking of Williams, he had a revenge game against his former team. Drafted 10th overall back in 2021 by the Grizzlies, Williams struggled in Memphis, dealing with several lower body injuries and competing with other wings for opportunities. Since coming to Brooklyn, Williams is having a renaissance, averaging 11.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals while shooting 56% from 3PT just 5 games into the season. In Memphis, 3PT shooting was his biggest weakness, but in Brooklyn, he has looked like a sniper. Last night, Williams showed what his former team missed out on, scoring 17 points and grabbing 4 steals on 6-10 FG in an upset victory.
The Nets are currently 2-3 to start the year, with their two victories coming against high-caliber playoff teams with championship expectations. The Nets should enjoy these victories when they happen because, despite the stellar play of Dennis Schroder, he is not likely to maintain this elite level of play given how much of an outlier it is from the rest of his career. However, at this moment, Dennis Schroder has looked like a superstar.
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