Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has not had the smoothest of NBA careers thus far. He came into the league as a small forward, given his inability to shoot which makes him a tough fit on the perimeter, he's had to adjust his game.
However, Bryan Fonseca of Nets Daily notes that Nets coach Kenny Atkinson sees a lot of improvement in the incoming third-year player this offseason and feels he’s finally finding his niche within the team.
“I think he’s figuring out where his kind of niche is with this group, with that first five he’s been playing with,” Atkinson said. “I think they have helped him out a little bit. He’s starting to find his niche and defensively. And I said last year when we inserted him into the lineup, we got better defensively. We just feel he’s been really good defensively. I feel so comfortable with him out there. It’s been big for us.”
Hollis-Jefferson was one of the Nets' standout performers in preseason as he averaged 10.5 points on 68 percent shooting with 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 20 minutes over four games.
The improvement in his shot has been noticeable, but it's clear he's more effective moving closer to the basket as a power forward, where he has also continued to make plays with his passing. Meanwhile, he remains a big asset due to his excellent defensive skills.
Hollis-Jefferson recently had his option for next year picked up, which indicates that the Nets see him as someone with enough potential to keep around. As he continues to grow and be comfortable with his role on the team, he could prove himself to be a foundational piece worth keeping even beyond next year.
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