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For many G League players, NBA call-ups end in disappointment as they struggle to produce at the highest level. For Dariq Whitehead, it's been the opposite, at least in terms of outside shooting.
The 2023 first-round pick has shot 44.8 percent from three over 17 appearances with the Brooklyn Nets this season, compared to 33.5 percent with the Long Island Nets. Whitehead attributed the discrepancy to a simplified role during his NBA minutes.
“It’s two different games… When I was down in Long Island, that was me trying to do things that I knew I wouldn’t have the chance to do this year up here, which is a lot of off-the-dribble, learning to beat guys off the dribble, and stuff like that. Just getting comfortable with my body again,” he said. “Then up here, coach is very loud about what he wants: shoot threes, play a lot of defense. He wants 50, 55 threes a game. So for me, when I hear that, any shot is a good shot, and I’m gonna take it.”
Whitehead first flashed his shooting stroke with Brooklyn in December, scoring a team-high 18 points while knocking down 6-of-10 three-point attempts during a loss to the Chicago Bulls. He's continued his hot shooting during a late-season call-up, converting at a 41 percent clip on 6.3 three-point attempts per game over the Nets' last seven outings.
Dariq Whitehead stays hot from three during NBA call-up with Nets
Dariq Whitehead hasn't been shy from deep during his NBA opportunities. He's attempting 15.1 threes per 100 possessions, the seventh-most in the NBA (minimum 15 games played).
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“He's done a good job just letting it fly,” said head coach Jordi Fernadnez. “He works [hard], works with the coaches. Travis [Bader] does a great job with him. Just trusting that the work he puts in is gonna show up in the game, and right now, he's been shooting very well. His work in Long Island has been equally great. Those shots in those minutes [down there] are valuable, and these shots in these minutes are very valuable too.”
.@dariq_whitehead is COOKIN' this quarter with 12 points off the bench!!! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/AdNXEX2Bhg
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) April 9, 2025
While Whitehead's three-point efficiency is an encouraging sign, he's yet to showcase other aspects of his offensive game. This season with Brooklyn, 67 of his 86 field goal attempts have been threes (78 percent). He struggled with his efficiency in Long Island, averaging 12.7 points on 37.9 percent shooting over 29 appearances.
However, there's hope Whitehead can develop into more than a spot-up shooter. A top-three recruit in the Class of 2022, the New Jersey native was among the nation's most prolific offensive players in high school. However, lower leg injuries derailed his freshman season at Duke and his rookie season with the Nets.
After undergoing three surgeries in the last two and a half years, this season marks his first fully healthy season since high school. Whitehead is looking forward to an offseason of strength training and skill work that will set up a pivotal 2025-26 campaign.
“I feel better now than I did in college. In college, I was hurting… I'd say [I'm at] about 90 percent [now],” Whitehead said. “For me, it’s gonna be continuing to take care of my body and conditioning. That’s gonna be big for me going into the offseason… Doing whatever I can to make sure next year I’m coming in and there’s no thoughts or talk about me [not] being in the best shape I can possibly be in… [This will be] one of my first summers since high school being able to go out there and train and work on things. So just taking advantage of this summer and making sure I come back even better, even stronger.”
