In the first five minutes of Wednesday’s game against the Knicks, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson reminded the Nets’ organization why he could be a key piece in any future success of the franchise.
Earning just his third start since Nov. 23, Hollis-Jefferson wasted little time in announcing his arrival, scoring six early points and displaying the tools that left evaluators dreaming of what could be.
The 2015 first-round pick showcased his ability on both ends of the court, converting a coast-to-coast layup while frustrating the Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis on the defensive end. It’s the kind of play the Nets, who host the Pacers on Friday night, have been waiting for.
“I think Rondae is playing really well right now,” Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. “He’s got good defensive instincts. I thought he did a good job on Porzingis closing out, running him off the line.”
Hollis-Jefferson, however, hadn’t been that productive in some time. The second-year player played his way onto the bench earlier this season after failing to produce as he had during his rookie campaign. The struggles showed prominently.
Hollis-Jefferson’s body language signaled an unhappy player. His smile disappeared. His pregame dances while joking with teammates were non-existent. In November and December, he shot a combined 39.5 percent from the field, and knew a change was needed.
That’s when he watched Spike Lee’s documentary on Kobe Bryant: “Kobe Doin’ Work.”
“Sometimes I’ll let the outside world affect the way I played, but then I watched the Kobe documentary,” Hollis-Jefferson told The Post. “I really listened and paid attention, and the biggest thing is how he created the ‘Black Mamba.’ Kobe handles Kobe stuff at home and the Black Mamba is on the court. That resonated with me.”
The change on the court was immediate.
Back was the boisterous, fun-loving player the Nets traded for, and so was his on-court play. Off the bench, Hollis-Jefferson created a spark, averaging 8.9 points on 50.8 percent shooting along with 6.1 rebounds over the past 10 games.
“Every NBA player wants to start and wants to be a key guy,” Hollis-Jefferson said. “But sometimes you need to take a few steps back to move forward.”
Atkinson seems more willing now to play a small lineup to accommodate Hollis-Jefferson because of his belief in the 6-foot-7 forward’s defensive ability. While undersized as a power forward, Hollis-Jefferson’s length makes him a plus defender.
He may be bodied inside the paint on occasion, but he has held his own the past 10 games, with the Nets plus-20 with him on the court and minus-115 without him.
“Adversity is tough,” Hollis-Jefferson said. “I feel like when you’re strong mentally, then at the end of the day you’ll be where you need to be. It was a barrier. I knocked it down and now it’s gone.”
In its place is the player the Nets envisioned when they acquired Hollis-Jefferson in a draft-day trade.
Atkinson said he is concerned with the drop of the Nets’ attempted 3-pointers within his motion offense. Over the past three games, the Nets have averaged just 24 3-point attempts while hitting on 22.6 percent, marking a decline from the 32.4 attempts they averaged across the season.
“We aren’t getting enough attempts,” Atkinson said. “Switching has been hurting us. You don’t get separation on the pick-and-roll, so teams stay at home more. … We do look at the attempts. I think it’s important and I worry when we don’t get enough.”