Rodions Kurucs had waited so long for his first put-back dunk he may have gotten a bit carried away Friday night, hanging on to the rim a little extra before slapping the backboard in the Nets’ preseason finale against the Knicks at the Garden.
“I just was hyped up,” Kurucs said with a grin Sunday after practice. “That was my first put-back in my life. I was just enjoying the moment. And I always wanted to slap the board.”
It came at a cost — a technical foul — but it was another reminder of the energy and confidence the Nets’ second-round pick has brought to the team.
“He puts his head down, it looks like he’ll run through a brick wall. Now, that can be good or bad, right?” coach Kenny Atkinson said with a laugh. “But he’s been fearless.”
Kurucs, the 6-foot-9 Latvian forward, said that style of play comes from the joy of getting the opportunity to play with the Nets. He was demoted to Barcelona’s B team last year, largely because of his plans to play in the NBA, but has taken advantage of his fresh start stateside.
“Actually the guys and coaches and all the people here, they give me this energy,” the 20-year-old said. “I feel way different than I felt in Barcelona. They give me this energy, I just give it back on the court.”
Atkinson is still trying to figure out his rotations, but Kurucs could be pushing for more minutes than he originally envisioned.
“This guy is showing signs he can play at the NBA level,” Atkinson said. “He’s long, he’s tall, he’s fast. He’s obviously gotta get stronger, we know that, but pleasantly surprised how he’s fit in.”
Entering camp as somewhat of a mystery following his selection in June, Kurucs averaged 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals while playing 12.1 minutes per preseason game.
He has also quickly learned about his new city.
“Brooklyn is better than Manhattan,” Kurucs said. “[Manhattan] is too much people.”
Atkinson said he was not ready to name his starters for Wednesday’s regular-season opener against the Pistons, but it’s clear Caris LeVert will be playing plenty regardless. The third-year guard/forward entered camp with a lot of buzz around him and averaged 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
“He’ll be one of our top minute guys,” Atkinson said. “He’s earned that. I think he’s ready for it.”
DeMarre Carroll, Allen Crabbe (ankle) and Shabazz Napier (hamstring) did not practice. Their status for Wednesday is yet to be determined, Atkinson said.
