Dennis Schröder hopes to help push the Nets past the Grizzlies for the third time in as many meetings this season Friday night in Memphis. AP Photo by Brandon Dill
Go West, young Nets.
Off to a dismal 4-13 start against Eastern Conference opponents, the youth-oriented, rebuilding Brooklyn Nets have made an early season habit of getting well when they venture toward that other coast.
They’ll try to continue that mind-boggling trend when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies Friday night at FedExForum.
Brooklyn (10-14) has won its first five games out West for the first time in franchise history. They are 6-1 against non-conference opponents overall, including a 2-0 mark thus far vs. the Grizzlies (17-8).
The Nets last visited the “Home of the Blues” on Oct. 30 after losing three of their first four games of the season to teams from the East.
Point guard Dennis Schröder torched the Grizzlies for 33 points and eight assists in that encounter and former Memphis forward Ziaire Williams added 17 points.
Schröder has been Brooklyn’s most reliable player this season, and is fast-emerging as its most attractive to potential trade suitors.
His last performance in Memphis made him the first Net ever to hit at least five 3-pointers, hand out five assists and put up at 25 points or more in three straight games.
“At one point he said, ‘Just give me the ball. I’ll take care of this.,” Brooklyn rookie coach Jordi Fernández said of Schröder following his first career road win.
“That’s what he does. He’s a leader. He puts everybody in place. If he has to score, he scores.”
Fernández’s Nets are 5-8 away from Barclays Center, with those wins coming at Memphis, New Orleans, Sacramento, Golden State and Phoenix.
Schröder did his best to help Brooklyn get a home win against an East opponent on Sunday, putting up 34 points and handing out 10 assists.
But the Nets’ defense failed them down the stretch as Giannis Antetkounmpo and the visiting Milwaukee…
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