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The Brooklyn Nets reduced their magic number to clinch the six-seed down to one and did it on the strength of some stellar ball movement.
“Whether I’m starting, coming off the bench my game is not going to change,” Royce O’Neale told reporters via the Nets’ YouTube channel after their win over the Detroit Pistons on April 5. “I do whatever I have to do to impact the game for us to win. Whether playmaking, scoring, just playing defense, anything. So I mean starting or not, that’s who I am.”
O’Neale put on a show, dropping a near triple-double with 15 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, and two blocks for good measure. He shot 50% from the floor and knocked down 4-of-9 looks from beyond the arc in his first start since the trade deadline.
It was Royce O’Neale’s first start since the trade deadline. And he delivered. The Nets wing finished with 15 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds. #NETSonYES
He’s scored double-digit points just eight times in those 24 games despite consistent minutes.
But the 29-year-old forward has shot a clean 40% from beyond the arc over his last 14 appearances.
O’Neale has now recorded four or more assists in four of the last five games as the Nets have gone 4-0 in those games. A positive trend as he heads into the final year of his contract on a team that figures to undergo a notable facelift this coming summer. His deal is only partially guaranteed for $2.5 million of the $9.5 million he is owed in the final season.
He was not the only Nets sharpshooter to do well with Joe Harris going off for 18 points on the strength of 6-for-9 triples. Afterward, O’Neale spoke about the way that Harris’ sharpshooting set the tone for the team.
“Just seeing him make shots like that, his professionalism, just staying ready at all times,” noted O’Neale. “He’s going to compete hard every time. Just that confidence boosted everybody else.”
Royce O’Neale: Spencer Dinwiddie ‘Started It’
Sharing the ball has been a theme – Brooklyn ranks second in assists over the last five games. And in this one, it was keyed by teammate Spencer Dinwiddie.
“Spence started it,” said O’Neale. “What he have, 10 [assists] in the first quarter? I mean, that’s impressive. I asked him if he was going for 10 each quarter to get 40.”
Dinwiddie finished with 16 assists, tying his career-high.
He has always been known as a score-first guard but has openly discussed adjusting to a different role in his second stint with the team that he got his big break with. He has recorded double-digit assists in 10 of the last 14 games.
“That’s how we got to play,” O’Neale insisted. “It’s going to take all of us to win these games. Especially getting ready for the playoffs, it’s going to take all of us – compete, play for one another, have fun with it.”
Royce O’Neale should be a candidate for Teammate of the Year (if it existed)
– Leads Nets in minutes
– Played out of position early in the season
– Moved to bench after trades and didn’t say a word
– Basically is backup PG for long stretches now
– Plays balls out every game
The 30-year-old Dinwiddie leads the NBA in assists among players with at least 10 games played in that span. Only one player would be above him without the games-played qualifier, Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, who has appeared in just three games over that same span.
Royce O’Neale Reveals Jacque Vaughn’s Message
Brooklyn was coming off a tough loss at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves just the night before this tilt with Detroit. O’Neale detailed a message from Jacque Vaughn that should resonate with the team throughout their postseason experience.
“Last game hurt us, we wanted to win,” O’Neale said. “After the game, JV came in [and] told us, “At 12 midnight, that game is over. Focus on the next one.”
It’s a simple message but one the Nets would be wise to take heed of.
They are on a collision course with the Philadelphia 76ers, against whom they will close out the regular season, in the first round of the playoffs. The Nets are 0-3 against the Sixers this season.
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Nets Sharpshooter Sends Strong Message on Role: ‘That’s Who I Am’