Milton Doyle’s rung-by-rung climb toward the NBA continued Sunday night when he earned a two-way contract from the Nets.
After impressing in the Las Vegas Summer League, Doyle had been excelling for G-League Long Island. The combo guard played well enough to draw attention from other NBA teams, and well enough to convince the Nets open up a two-way deal by waiving Yakuba Ouattara and give it to Doyle.
“It started in summer league where he impressed right there. He came out of nowhere. Just who is this guy, not from a big school,” Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Small school, surprising athleticism, surprising feel to score the ball and then make passes.
“Physically, he’s got a ways to go. He’s got to get stronger, he’s got to defend better. But I’m thrilled. I’m a big fan. I can’t wait for him to get in our practices.”
Doyle went undrafted after averaging 13.3 points per game in four years at Loyola-Chicago. But after impressing the Nets in Las Vegas and beating out Kentucky product Archie Goodwin for a training-camp spot, he’s averaged 21.3 points to earn a two-way deal.
“Excitement. It’s a step closer to my goal. It’s big time,” Doyle said. “[My first call] was my mom. She’s excited. She’s more excited than me. She’s just happy I could make her proud.
“[My role is] just to help these guys out, keep their spirits up, bring energy on the court, play defense and just make some shots.”
Doyle’s two-way deal is for one year. Jacob Wiley, who has the Nets’ other two-way deal, has appeared five times for Brooklyn. And after watching Isaiah Whitehead get summoned to fly cross-country at a moment’s notice, Doyle looks forward to answering that call.
“It’s just something you get used to,” Doyle said. “If I get to come up here and play, call me at 3 or 4 in the morning. I’ll be here.”
Jeremy Lin — who suffered a season-ending knee injury — took over the Nets’ Reddit account Monday to answer questions from fans, including some about his recovery.
“Everything is going smoothly,” Lin said. “I do my rehab split between Brooklyn and Vancouver. The Nets and Fortius have collaborated on a rehab plan that’s been amazing for me!!”
After missing 127 games in two seasons because of hamstring woes and now knee surgery, Lin was asked if he’ll alter his style for safety reasons.
“I have been super on top of my sleep and nutrition for quite some time, but the one thing I am doing is rebuilding my body from the ground up,” Lin said. “Every joint and muscle, as well as tweaking a lot of my movement patterns to become even more efficient, healthy and explosive. It’s a daunting endeavor but I have the time and the willingness to take this challenge head on! It’s been super fun so far.”
