© Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
What do The Nets Have to be Grateful For This Thanksgiving?
Mikal Bridges and Spencer Dinwiddie were expected to be the heavy hitters within the Brooklyn Nets' offense this season. However, they’ve had a bit of a slow start to the season, but some of the other Nets players have picked up their slack.
Even though the team is 6-8 to start the year, the emergence of supporting players is much to look forward to. As Thanksgiving approaches, we now take a look at a few things that Brooklyn fans can be thankful for.
Cam Thomas
Perhaps the player most spoken about on the Nets this season, Cam Thomas started off the season averaging 26.9 points per game in just 8 games played. His hot run of form was stopped quickly, when he suffered an ankle injury early in the season. Thomas is still expected to miss time, but his status is improving.
Since losing Thomas, the Nets have been 2-4 and have dearly missed his high scoring output. In the meantime though, Lonnie Walker has slowly been emerging as a 6th Man of the Year candidate.
Lonnie Walker IV
Walker is currently averaging a career-high 15.9 points per game this season, up from the 11.7 he averaged last year with the Lakers. He has appeared in 13 of the 14 games for the Nets this season, but hasn’t started in a single one. In just 22 minutes per game, Walker is also dishing out 1.9 assists, along with 3.1 rebounds per game.
Dorian Finney-Smith
Known for his impressive defense, Finney-Smith has been impressive this season on the offensive end. From last season, his 3 point shooting percentage has improved from 30.6 to 44.8% this year, and his overall field goal percentage has jumped from 35.1 to 46.3% this season.
Beyond being a specialist in corner three-point shooting, Doe has demonstrated improvement in attacking the basket. While this isn't a frequent aspect of his game, his success rate on drives has risen to 53.8% this season compared to 29.6% in the previous season.
The Nets have had a pretty mediocre start to the season thus far, being under .500 through their first 14 games. However, the emergence of a few role players having stellar seasons are certainly something to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.
