Nets’ top pick finally makes it on to court
After being injured for the start of training camp, Dzanan Musa was so restless he couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning. But the Nets rookie can finally get some rest, after going through his first full practice Monday.
“I was so frustrated that I couldn’t sleep at night because I wasn’t practicing,” said Musa. “I was watching training camp, and the guys were fighting, the coaches were all-in, the intensity and stuff, and I was on the bench watching. That was so hard for me. But I’m happy that I’m here.”
The 19-yearold Musa, who suffered a right ankle injury last month playing for Bosnia in FIBA action, was unsure if the Nets would ease him in slowly as a teenaged rookie who’d missed much of camp. But the second-youngest player in Nets history is confident he’ll make the best of any minutes he’s given.
“I don’t know. You have to ask them that,” Musa said. “But whatever, whenever I get a chance, an opportunity, I will make sure that they will remember me.”
Musa left a positive impression on coach Kenny Atkinson. The Nets had the Bosnian slotted in the middle of the first round on their internal board before the draft, but his ball-handling has surpassed even their expectations.
“He definitely showed some pick-androll ability,” Atkinson said of Musa, whom he likened to Mike Dunleavy Jr. “I’m not ready to put him at the starting point guard, but I think he could eventually be a secondary or third ball-handler.
“He’s pretty skilled, more skilled with the ball than I thought. I see him as a two or three; the two is probably his position. That’s a nice size. I think I referenced Mike Dun- leavy [Jr.]. He’s 6-[foot]-9, he’s tall. He’s got to get stronger, obviously, but is eventually two, three, four, which is where this league is going with the multiple positions, the versatility.”
While Atkinson described both Musa and fellow European rookie Rodions Kurucs as “skilled, not just catch-andshoot guys,” Musa praised the work of assistant coach Pablo Prigioni for showing him tricks of the trade and veterans Jared Dudley, Shabazz Napier and even D’Angelo Russell for keeping his morale up during his rehab.
It’s unclear how much, if at all, he’ll play in Wednesday’s preseason opener against the Knicks, but it’s pretty clear he’ll be excited.
“Oh, every game for me is like [the] Finals,” Musa said. “I play every game like it’s my last, so I’m excited about that.”
With Caris LeVert seemingly raising his game, the Nets have to find ways to get him on the floor. That may include more small-ball with DeMarre Carroll at power forward.
“That was part of the thinking of tweaking the offense a little bit where it fits a fourguard systemm,” Atkinson said. “I still like having that big guy out there, Jarrett [Allen] or Ed [Davis], just for rebounding and that rim-roller. But I definitely think we could see some more four-guard lineups.
“With Caris pushing, playing so well, that’s something we’ve got to figure out. I haven’t decided yet. We’re trying different things, see how that works out. ... We’ve been playing DeMarre at the four. He played a ton last year at the four. Great thing about DeMarre, he doesn’t really care. He understands it’s different from the 80s; you don’t have Charles Oakley at the four. He gets it. He’s good at that position.”