Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash on Tuesday reiterated that it will be a tough task for rookie players Cameron Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe to crack the rotation this year.
With the Nets constructed to win now and compete for a championship, the team is filled with veteran players up and down the roster. Even outside of the Big Three, the Nets have other veterans like LaMarcus Aldridge, Patty Mills, Blake Griffin and Paul Millsap.
However, the two rookies each made a case for why they belong in the Las Vegas Summer League.
Thomas finished as the leading scorer and was named the co-MVP after averaging 27 points, two assists, 1.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals. Sharpe posted 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocked shots and one assist in four games with Brooklyn.
“The guys have all been in our gym a lot for a few weeks now and that has been positive,” Nash said. “They have worked hard. I think we see NBA players and it is just a matter of developing them now. It is a tough team to break into so some of these rookies have their work cut out for them if they are going to get into the rotation but that is a great challenge for them.”
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Thomas and Sharpe certainly will compete for the opportunity to join the rotation in training camp but Nash has conveyed to them that it may not happen right away. Nash even reflected on his own experience when he didn’t play very much as a rookie.
Nash joined a veteran-heavy Phoenix Suns roster in 1996 and played sparingly. He averaged just 10.5 minutes in 64 games that season but eventually put forth a Hall-of-Fame resume despite not seeing the court much as a rookie.
“I was a 15th pick who only played my rookie year when (Kevin Johnson) was injured so it is not how you start, it’s how you get there,” Nash said. “I definitely preached to some of our rookies already that you gotta play the long game and whether you crack the rotation this year or not, it is important for you to think long-term and not giveaway days.”
Thomas and Sharpe enter a situation where they will have plenty of teammates and coaches to learn from. They may spend the upcoming season in more of a developmental role but that should still enable them to grow on and off the court.
The two know that they will have to earn their way onto the court and if they can keep a positive mindset this season, that should work wonders for them down the line.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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