Nets' Kevin Ollie, Dennis Schroder's third coach this month, wants guard to stay aggressive on offense
Nets guard Dennis Schroder reacts after missing a shot attempt during the first half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, in Minneapolis. Credit: AP/Abbie Parr
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — All of the Nets have had to adjust to interim coach Kevin Ollie, but for Dennis Schroder, that learning curve has been even tougher.
Ollie is the third coach this month for Schroder. He started the season with the Raptors and Darko Rajakovic and was traded to the Nets at the Feb. 8 deadline. He played three games before Jacque Vaughn was fired.
“I always try to be just focused on what I’m doing, what I’m bringing every single day,” Schroder said before the Nets faced the Grizzlies on Monday night. “I think picking up full court, bringing the energy defensively and on the offensive end, play with pace, try to involve my teammates.”
Schroder was in the starting lineup Monday and Ben Simmons, who was cleared to play despite being listed as questionable with left leg soreness, came off the bench. With the Nets playing Tuesday in Orlando, Schroder could get more minutes because Simmons has yet to play both ends of a back-to-back this season.
Since his Nets debut with 15 points and 12 assists on Feb. 10, Schroder has had mixed results. He’s had eight assists in the last four games combined, and after shooting 3-for-5 from three-point range in his first game, he had gone 4-for-16 since then.
Ollie, however, has been pleased with Schroder’s energy off the bench. Even Saturday, when Schroder had nine points and shot 4-for-14, he found more to compliment than criticize and told him to keep shooting when he’s open.
So what did Ollie advise on Monday? Play free, play with joy and keep shooting when open, the coach said. It’ll help him get more comfortable as he gets more reps with his teammates.
“I just always tell the player, let the game play you, and you don’t play the game,” Ollie said. “So don’t come in here saying I want to get 20 shots. It’s like the game is going to tell you; the ball is going to talk to you. So I want [Schroder] to be aggressive when he has an opportunity to do that.”
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
