LAS VEGAS — The Nets had two selections in the first round of the NBA draft last month.
But their second-round pick, Jalen Wilson, has looked the most NBA-ready of their rookies, and has made an impression at summer league.
Wilson, who was taken with the 51st overall pick and inked to a two-way deal, had 17 points, on 5-for-12 shooting, and seven rebounds on Thursday in the Nets’ 99-94 overtime victory over the Raptors.
He came into the game averaging 16.3 points on 50 percent shooting.
The forward also had seven rebounds, 1.3 steals and a block per game, displaying the expected physicality and court savvy, along with a better-than-expected jumper.
“Jalen, you can see the high IQ. You can see how he plays. He’s got a great feel for the game,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said. “I think the team enjoys playing with a guy like Jalen.
“His shot, he’s working on his consistency. If he can continue to knock that down like he [has], you’re looking at an NBA player. So that’s exciting for us. Obviously the pedigree he comes from, he’s been coached well, coached hard and championship pedigree. That’s exciting for us.”
Wilson’s shot is going to be the single biggest deciding factor in whether he can have an NBA career — and in whether he can even exceed expectations and actually become a contributor this season not just at G-League Long Island, but for the Nets.
A former Big 12 Player of the Year for Kansas, Wilson is going to have to adjust to being a role player.
Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Spencer Dinwiddie are likely to get the lion’s share of the shots, and if and when the 6-foot-8, 225-pound Wilson plays, his job will consist of setting screens, defending and, most of all, hitting catch-and-shoot 3-pointers.
“Jalen’s been shooting the ball really well,” Johnson said.
Shooting well hasn’t been Wilson’s strength, but he’s making strides in shoring up that weakness.
“I’ve just been working on it all summer,” the 22-year-old Wilson said. “Since I got out of school, through the entire draft process, I just wanted to be the best shooter I could be, just show my confidence and be able to take the shots when they come to me, not have to force anything. Just creating those game situations in my workouts and practice so when they do come in the game, it’s all in rhythm.”
Wilson shot a modest 29.8 percent from 3-point range in college, although his 33.7 percent clip as a senior was his career best.
It’s auspicious that he was trending upwards, and he has continued that improvement. After going 2-for-5 from deep Thursday, Wilson has gone 9-for-18 so far in summer league, a solid 50 percent clip.
“When he shoots with confidence, I have confidence it’s going to go in,” said Nets assistant Trevor Hendry, who is serving as head coach during summer league. “Whenever he hesitates or has a little doubt in his mind, that’s when he gets in trouble. When he shoots it with confidence, I have the utmost positivity that it’s going in.“His ability to get into paint and kick out [is big]. He drew three or four guys on his drives. … Jalen’s ability to do both — he can rebound, he can push it and on the offensive end, the decisions he made were great.”
The Nets’ first-round picks haven’t been able to show much yet. Dariq Whitehead is still rehabbing from surgery and Noah Clowney, who will turn 19 on Friday, is going through growing pains.
Wilson’s four years of collegiate experience, however, have served him well.
That aforementioned pedigree included Wilson helping the Jayhawks win a national title as a junior, and then averaging 20.1 points and 8.3 boards as a senior.
“My time at school gave me a lot of different experiences, taught me a lot of different things,” Wilson said. “Being able to come in and play a specific role, I was able to do that on a championship team. I was able to do it last year with a different role, being the older guy on the team.
“I just look at this opportunity to come in and be able to do whatever I’m asked to do. I was asked to do a lot of different things in my career at Kansas, so I’ll be well prepared.”
