Level guard prospect Kennedy Chandler put his religion within the Nets this summer season. Did they see sufficient to return the favor?

In his quest for a two-way spot on the Nets’ roster, Kennedy Chandler has already confronted strikes one and two. He has only one left.

Touchdown the ultimate spot could be a house run for Chandler, conserving him within the NBA and giving him a chance to be Brooklyn’s latest reclamation project success story. Lacking it could be a bitter capsule, regardless of the cash he’s nonetheless resulting from pocket from the Grizzlies, who waived him after his rookie season in April. As a result of in the event you ask Chandler, he’ll let you know it’s not concerning the money.

It’s concerning the sport, and getting again to his.

“Yeah, that’s the entire level of me enjoying this summer season. I need to play each single sport, kill, dominate whoever is in entrance of me,” Chandler stated throughout his summer season league stint with the Nets. “And never simply fear about myself, truthfully. You simply fear about doing what I can do; then the remaining will come.

“My agent will do what he do, and I’m going to do what I do. I instructed him I’m going to do my half, you do your half.”

Throughout his keep in Las Vegas, Chandler was constant at doing the issues he does nicely; getting in transition and getting downhill together with his spectacular velocity. Nevertheless it’s the factor the younger level guard has been inconsistent with that might preserve him from touchdown Brooklyn’s final open two-way spot, behind rookie Jalen Wilson and Armoni Brooks.

It’s that shaky jumper. With Chandler, it all the time comes again to the jumper.

Capturing struggles

It’s no coincidence that Brooks and Wilson led the summer season league workforce in 3-point capturing at .476 and .458, respectively. The previous’s 20 3-pointers had been second-most in Las Vegas.

Sadly for Chandler, he’s on the opposite finish of that spectrum. The improper finish.

After struggling by way of a subpar 2-of-14 efficiency from 3-point vary in Las Vegas — together with 1-of-6 in Brooklyn’s summer season league semifinal loss — to the Cleveland Cavaliers, it’s nonetheless very a lot a difficulty.

“Yeah, I believe it’s all the time simply confidence in his shot,” stated Nets assistant Trevor Hendry, who served as head coach of the summer season league squad.

“He took one on the wing (final week) proper in entrance of our bench. I cherished it. Preserve capturing it. I’ve the utmost confidence in him to shoot the three and make the three, regardless of if it’s in video games right here, preseason, wherever he goes subsequent. That’s his factor for me, his 3-point shot; as a result of that’s the one factor holding him again.”

It was primarily the one factor that held him again in — and sealed his exit from — Memphis.

Chandler had arrived there as an in-state star. He performed at Tennessee as a freshman and had grow to be mates with franchise participant Ja Morant going into final 12 months’s NBA Draft, when he was anticipated to be a first-round choice. Considerations over his lack of measurement — and much more so his lack of an outdoor shot — noticed him fall into the second spherical.

Strolling in (and out of) Memphis

Technically drafted by San Antonio at No. 38 general, the Grizzlies gave up a second-rounder and $1 million in money to accumulate Chandler. In an additional present of how extremely they regarded the guard, Memphis handed him a four-year, $7.1 million contract (essentially the most for any second-rounder final 12 months), three years and $4.9 million of that assured.

It was a hefty funding, one which didn’t repay.

Chandler had simply 36 mostly-ineffective appearances as a rookie, ultimately getting launched.

He’s nonetheless owed $3.7 million by the Grizzlies — $1.7 million this upcoming season one other $2.1 million the following. And he nonetheless has his elite athleticism, blistering velocity and the skywalking 41 ½-inch vertical he flashed on the 2022 NBA Draft Mix.

It’s straightforward to see why Brooklyn — getting back to their player development roots — would take a flier on Chandler, nonetheless simply 20-years-old with tons of room to develop.

However after capturing simply .133 from 3-point vary for Memphis as a rookie and .207 within the G League final 12 months, Chandler was even worse for Brooklyn in summer season league, at .143. Generously listed at 6-feet, these kind of capturing woes might make it powerful to stay within the NBA, a shooter’s league.

Playing on Las Vegas

Chandler did a little bit of every thing else in Las Vegas, averaging 14.0 factors, 5.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds (belying his measurement) and even 2.0 steals.

“[The key was] don’t get sped up,” Chandler stated. “As a rookie I didn’t get a lot minutes; it was extra of a studying 12 months for me, studying from Tyus (Jones) and Ja. So I might thank Tyus and Ja for positive simply preaching to me — Tyus particularly, for positive.

“I sat subsequent to [Jones] on the airplane rides after video games, on the best way to the sport. So we talked loads about basketball, and he was only a good mentor to me, him and Ja. So I instructed him the opposite day simply from watching them, [I] don’t simply watch the sport; watch what they do on the court docket, watch what they see, the reads. I believe it was like a studying 12 months for me, and now I get to point out that this 12 months.”

Chandler shot .357 general and completed a strong plus-9; however he must show he will be extra correct.

That activity was made more durable in Las Vegas as a result of up till the semifinals, groups inexplicably performed him up and pressured him.

“I’ve been making an attempt,” Chandler stated. “I needed to show, I need to present it. [But] if a workforce, a participant retains urgent me, I’ve acquired to beat him downhill; in order that’s on them in the event that they don’t know the scout.

“Not saying they don’t know the scout, however I’m going to make use of my benefit, my God-given velocity to go downhill and discover my teammates open. However when the 3-ball is there, I’m going to take it.”

Chandler took them in summer season league; however lacking a dozen of the 14 he tried didn’t assist his trigger. Nonetheless, the purpose guard insists he’s able to hitting them; he simply has to persuade the Nets, or another workforce him.

“Perhaps my share from final 12 months [wasn’t great], however I barely performed. It’s most likely as soon as each 10 video games I shot it, or as soon as each 20 video games I shot a 3,” stated Chandler. “So I don’t actually choose from final 12 months’s share how I can shoot. I do know I can shoot the ball. But when groups preserve urgent, I’m going to maintain going downhill.”

However the place? And for whom?

Brooklyn or bust

Brooks and Wilson — who appears to be like like a steal with the 51^st general decide and his potential to be a daily a part of the rotation as a 3-and-D weapon — are each inked to two-way contracts. Burly ahead RaiQuan Grey had the third, however was waived after a poor exhibiting in Las Vegas to open up a spot.

However has Chandler proven sufficient to get it?

That seemingly rests on issues out of his management, resembling who else is perhaps out there.

For Chandler, the Nets’ previous success with turning D’Angelo Russell into an All-Star and Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris from waived castoffs to well-paid viable starters is a heck of a promoting level. However might he observe an analogous trajectory by signing straight with G League Lengthy Island slightly than with Brooklyn? Or getting a proposal elsewhere?

At this level, is there the rest Chandler can present common supervisor Sean Marks, both positively or negatively? Or does it come right down to what else is on the market in the marketplace this summer season?

“I imply, I’m unsure,” Hendry stated. “I believe that stuff’s out of our management.”

And for the second, out of Chandler’s.