Inside The Nets

Jacque Vaughn lauds Dennis Smith Jr.'s impact on the Nets' win over OKC

Dennis Smith Jr. continues to shine for the Nets.

Marin Gabric

© Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
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The Brooklyn Nets recently ended their five-game losing streak by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder. One of the biggest standouts from the win was Dennis Smith Jr., who scored 13 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and dished out seven assists.

DSJ’s energy has been a big part of Brooklyn’s system this season because he makes a difference every time he’s on the court. This naturally led to head coach Jacque Vaughn giving his point guard the flowers he deserves.

“Dennis, his impact, even to the end of the game, we missed it, he gets the offensive rebound. His ability to guard defensively, make shots tonight for us, drive the basketball,” JV said after the big win. “Overall, just his spirit for our group is huge. It gives us an edge and a swag about us that goes through the group when he’s playing.”

Dennis helps the Nets play at a faster pace

The Nets were most successful when the team had Ben Simmons at point guard. He usually initiated the plays by rebounding and then immediately running in transition. That opened up shots at the rim but also from three. Due to Ben’s injuries, that playstyle has been limited for Brooklyn, even though Coach JV wants to play that system.

Dennis also got injured, which made the team play with Spencer Dinwiddie as the primary ball-handler. DSJ is back and healthy now, just in time to help the Nets make bounce-back performances.

The former NC State star is rebounding the ball well and initiating transition plays immediately. This constantly happened against the Thunder and is a big reason why Brooklyn had such a dominant first-half performance.

Dennis’ defense is massive for Brooklyn

The Nets have struggled to defend their opponents, especially the guards. Dinwiddie and Cameron Thomas are mediocre defenders because they don’t have the defensive instincts and physical tools that Ben and DSJ have. But with the uber-athletic guard on the squad, the Brooklyn has a reliable stopper.

Combined with his athleticism, DSJ is also one of the most relentless players in the league. He battles for loose balls and is ready to take on any top offensive player. While he couldn’t prevent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from scoring 30+ points against Brooklyn, DSJ still did well at stopping him from completely taking over the game.

Nets fans should keep expecting this DSJ performance to last a long time. Everyone should be excited with how much Dennis has embraced being a top-tier back-up point guard, whether it’s for Ben or Dinwiddie.

The Nets end their losing streak with a big win over the OKC Thunder

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Marin Gabric
MARIN GABRIC

Marin's love for writing developed in high school but was furthered in college when he took a number of creative writing courses. Doing sports writing felt like an extremely natural continuation, as it furthered his passions in both writing and basketball.  Marin loves the feeling of looking at stats after a game and analyzing what each team could've done better or what they excel in compared to the rest of the league. And the ability to do so for his favorite team, the Brooklyn Nets, is quite special in itself. 

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