For most players who are hired by a new team during a regular season, the transition can be difficult. It is not so for Andre Roberson. He is looking at many familiar faces.
Roberson, who signed with Brooklyn on Tuesday, credits the familiarity not only with the players, but also with the front office for a smooth transition so far.
“It’s really cool, honestly. From the front office to the players, we all have links in some way, or form with each other, which is really cool, ”said Roberson in the long list of Nets connections. “This just goes to show that the genealogy between three teams is very good. It just shows what kind of person and character you are getting into. I think it’s too much and it kind of gives me an advantage because I know what to expect. So far so good, so I can’t complain. “
Aside from the obvious connection – Spencer Dinwiddie is his college teammate and future brother-in-law – Roberson’s two biggest connections are James Harden and Kevin Durant, with whom he played during his early years with Thunder. He was also a teammate with Nets assistant coach Royal Ivey at OKC. And yes, he had talked to Dinwiddie about joining the Nets.
“We had a little bit of communication during the free agency, but other than that, it just happened,” said Roberson. “I kind of bring my talents to New York, I think. You know, Spencer has been talking about this for a few years, but we finally made it happen. “
The San Antonio product said that his initial thought process after joining the Nets was that “it will be a fun year”, knowing that he will be reuniting with Harden and Durant. Unfortunately, Dinwiddie is in LA trying to get back to playing after he tore his ACL. Robertson said that being with Brooklyn also adds a little pressure. He knows he will have to perform, but he also noticed how impressed he was with Nets’ chemistry.
“Obviously playing with two out of three, my initial thought process was going to be a fun year,” said Roberson. “For me, my job is not easier this year knowing that three of the best guys in the league are on the same team that I have to help guard. It will be a lot of fun, but at the same time, it’s a complete team. We gel very easily and obviously, they didn’t have a lot of games and discovered rotations and chemistry. The way the team is unified is quite impressive with the short period of time. ”
When asked what he can bring to this Nets team, his defense is the center of attention. Roberson says that in addition to his defensive presence along the perimeter, he will bring energy and communication.
“What I can bring to the team is my energy, being ready to play every night and trying to motivate the guys,” said Roberson. “Try to communicate because that is a big part of the defense. Before you can find out about schemes, positioning and things like that – communication, energy and the things you can control. That’s what I’m looking forward to bringing to this team. “
Roberson built his resume around his defensive game – being selected for the NBA All-Defensive team in 2017, something no Net has done since Jason Kidd. Can he fit offensively, joining the firepower of Brooklyn? He believes it can serve as a 4 or even a 5, while watching how the Nets “Big Three” pulls so much gravity that spacing and finding the open spot shouldn’t be difficult. Not to mention the whole offense, the Nets can easily afford to go down that side of the court.
“Honestly, going from 1 to 5 puts me in that position too, but at the same time, I kind of incorporated that when we played against Golden State,” he said referring to the epic finals of the 2016 Western Conference. “I would have been a pick-and-roll of 4, 5 men and would be the guy from the transition to the other side, if it weren’t for the clean dunk, if they were occupying everyone on the wings, which kind of makes everyone’s job easier, how having three guys on the same team makes it a lot easier,
“One of these guys is going to draw two and someone is going to open, so just finding an open chance. Spacing is going to be very easy, so I think it’s more difficult to find the time, the chemistry and the camaraderie with the guys. This will be the biggest challenge for us. I think everyone here knows how to play basketball, so it should be easy. ”
Finding a role with the Nets will be based on their conditioning, at least initially. It is no secret that Steve Nash and the Nets in general approach cautiously players who join the team in the middle of the season, wanting them to get in shape for basketball before the consistent minutes. Roberson observed how he managed good runs during practice and shooting.
“I feel really good, honestly,” said Roberson of conditioning. “Obviously, nothing compares to the conditioning of the game, so you can almost throw yourself at the wolves in a way. It is difficult to even put a 5-on-5 and try to be safe at the same time. I was jumping back and forth between gyms in Oklahoma City, where I worked out.
“Coming home and seeing my family too, so I was just ready and at the same time, having some time with the family before I really did. It was very good and obviously I’m here now, so I can have a good meeting with the guys in a 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 practice, so it will be a lot of fun. “
The biggest problem for many is how the 29-year-old winger recovered from a devastating knee injury in June 2018, which led to a series of setbacks during the recovery process. The injury put Roberson out of the NBA game for 30 months before returning to the “bubble” with Thunder last season.
Roberson talked a lot about his knee injury, looking at the various stages of recovery. He is looking forward to leaving this behind and getting more games in the future.
“Last year I played in the bubble and those were my first games of the season, but I broke my patellar tendon three years ago in 2018 and I kind of recovered all the way. I just suffered some setbacks with the initial surgery. The second was an avulsion fracture in the patellar bone with my tendon not being healthy enough to supply blood to the bone to remain strong, ”said Roberson.
“Once I got over those two things and the last piece was mostly scar tissue and irritation, so go on and clean it up. When we were trying to find out what it was, it was a big mystery until the doctors came in and said it was a piece of scar tissue. It was terrible, but thank God I’m healthy and playing now. I look forward to continuing from there and getting more games under my belt. “
Before signing with Nets, Roberson said that what kept him motivated while waiting for his phone to ring was simply his dreams. He knew that if his time didn’t come this season, he was confident that he would get the call next season.
“Guys always come and go, but you always have to be ready. This is something that my last team taught me is just to always be a professional, ”said Roberson of Thunder. “Always be ready and I wasn’t ready to give up on my dreams, so I knew that at some point a door or opportunity would open if it was this season or the next. I was going to stay in shape the best I could and with all the protocols and stuff, that’s what I did. “
Roberson told reporters that he got interest from other teams before signing with Brooklyn. “I had a little traction with other teams, but nothing really stopped until Nets called,” said Roberson.
According to reports, the Nets discussed hiring Roberson before going with Iman Shumpert, another wing focused on defense. Then, after trying Norvel Pelle, they cut him off and called Roberson. Both he and Shumpert have unsecured deals, but Roberson, unlike Shumpert, is healthy. Roberson threw four minutes of trash time against the Lakers.
Roberson gave the Nets board the balance between personal security and Brooklyn location.
“It has been very busy, but thank goodness that this is a great organization. They helped make this transition very easy and get to know everyone, staying safe and following NBA guidelines, ”said Roberson. “It’s my first time on a team, so I didn’t know what to expect. They made it a lot easier for me. “
Meanwhile, Dinwiddie posted another update on his rehabilitation, with the caption: “The base will be bulletproof”.
Kevin Durant vs. Clippers, says Steve Nash
Steve Nash ruled out Kevin Durant for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite not playing tomorrow, KD is making progress, Nash said, as he noted how his injury is taking longer than the performance team initially thought.
“I don’t have a schedule, but he’s off for tomorrow,” said Nash. “He is still trying to recover that strength and growth in his rehabilitation. As I always say, I don’t think it’s a long-term thing, but there are elements to taking a few more days than we thought or just being cautious. Both are now needed. I don’t think he’s ready. I think he needs more time, but we will definitely be cautious. He will be gone tomorrow. ”
Durant was due to do some physical work on the training ground on Saturday, according to Nash. The Nets technician classified the work as “very light”, but will balance the work with the rehabilitation of the strengthening of the hamstring tendon.
“I think he will do something on the ground today, but it will be very light as part of the continued progress. He will still be doing strengthening and trying to limit the inflammation while he does that strengthening and then a little bit of work in court today to see where he is. ”