INDIANAPOLIS — For Rodions Kurucs, the climb from forgotten man in the G-League to the NBA rotation wasn’t mechanical. It was mental.
After being afraid to even take a 3-pointer and getting shipped to the G-League, Kurucs has returned as one of the NBA’s better outside shooters over the past two months. And it was less about what went on in Long Island, and more to do with what has gone on between his ears.
“No, it was in the head. It was mental,” Kurucs told The Post, leading into the Nets’ game with the Pacers on Monday. “I didn’t take that much shots, to be honest. But just my confidence [was the issue].
“When I went to the G-League, coach [Kenny Atkinson] told me to shoot open shots. That’s what I’ve been doing. Every time I have the opportunity to shoot, I’m doing it.”
Internally, the Nets admit Kurucs didn’t look like his normal confident feisty self at the start of the season, one saying “we care for him, we talk to him and address the total person.” And that care may have been needed, considering the events of this past summer.
The Latvian has already had four court appearances for a misdemeanor assault charge, with a fifth set for Tuesday. Sources told The Post he grabbed a knife and threatened to kill himself during a June 27 spat with his girlfriend, before tossing her on a bed and slapping her.
Kurucs’ lawyer, Alex Spiro, has denied the disturbing allegations. But whatever the legal outcome, Kurucs wasn’t in the best headspace when the season started, off-court issues bleeding into his play.
“Yeah, for sure. Of course. But yeah, now I’m ready,” said Kurucs, shooting a 46.3 percent from deep, which would be second in the NBA if he had enough attempts to qualify.
“I’ve been working with a sports psychologist. I’ve been working with myself, trying to understand what they want from me, what I should do when I’m open, not pump-fake every time. Just read the game, make the right decision. And that’s been the key: Make right decisions and be locked-in more.”
Kurucs had been in the rotation through the first seven games before his overreliance on driving and refusal to shoot got him banished. He logged just 16 minutes in three cameo appearances over the following 17 games.
“The confidence, that was a problem in the beginning of the year. He would not let it go. It was a real lack of confidence,” Kenny Atkinson told The Post. “Now he’s gone the other way. He’s gotten to the point where it’s, ‘OK, I’ll let it go.’ His mind has been free more than his shot had changed.
“We know how important it is to have that 4-man be able to shoot it. … That’s going to be his development piece; is he going to be a consistent shooter? If he can do that, he’s going to be a really valuable player.”
Kurucs has shot 57.1 percent from 3-point range in his past six games, and over his past 11 he’s 15 of 27 (55.6 percent) from deep. After going just 1-for-4 over that 17-game stretch out of the rotation, that’s a quantum leap.
Kurucs is ninth or 10th in the rotation, playing in 22 of the past 27. With Taurean Prince (38.7 percent shooting overall) and Wilson Chandler (29.9 percent from 3) up-and-down, there is opportunity for Kurucs.
“Last year he was a good shooter,” Spencer Dinwiddie said. “He came in this year and was scared to shoot and everybody was like ‘What happened’? And when he finally started shooting, he couldn’t miss. And everybody was like ‘Why didn’t you start a month ago?’ ”
“He was never a bad shooter, but he came in this season acting like he didn’t want to shoot. And we were like, ‘Bro, what are you doing’? And when he finally unleashed the clip, he ain’t missed yet.”