So much for a 3-point-shooting contest hangover.
Joe Harris went 0-for-3 from deep in his first game back from outlasting Stephen Curry in the All-Star Weekend event but is 8-for-10 in two games since. The only problem for the Nets is figuring out how to get him more shots.
Harris has taken just seven shots from the field in each of the past two games, and given how hot Harris has been, coach Kenny Atkinson wants that number to change.
“I gotta do a better job,” Atkinson said as the Nets prepared to play host to the Wizards on Wednesday night.
“I think it’s on me a little bit to find him some more shots and help him get more shots, especially out of timeouts. The problem — we had this with [Kyle] Korver in Atlanta, everybody is so focused on him now with his fame, his 3-point-shooting win, so I think that’s part of it. We always used to tell Kyle, ‘You’re helping the team even though there’s going to be some games where you get 15 shots and other games where you’re going to get seven, and you’re going to help other guys get shots.’ ”
Over his past five games, Harris is shooting 68.9 percent from the field and 73.1 percent from 3. This season he is taking 9.9 shots per game, including 5.1 from beyond the arc, with the league’s best 3-point field-goal percentage at 47.8.
Playing in some new rotations, with the Nets nearly back to full strength, they are still trying to figure out how to distribute the ball to their best scorers.
“They want all of us to be more aggressive shooting 3s,” Harris said. “We took 50 3s [Monday] night, but if Kenny could have it his way I’m sure he’d want us to take 65, 70 3s a game. Obviously you’re trying to take good ones and you want it to be in the flow of the offense, but the percentages weigh out over time, and as long as you’re shooting above a certain clip from 3, you’re going to be more efficient and that’s how we want to play.”
After holding the Spurs to 85 points Monday night, the Nets are 8-1 when keeping their opponents under 100 points.
“Honestly, I think you have to take into account that they had a back-to-back,” Caris LeVert said. “But I think we were locked in the whole night.”
The Nets signed guard Tahjere McCall to a 10-day contract. The 24-year old out of Tennessee State is averaging 10 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals in 23 games for G-League Long Island.
