C.J. Holmes: What else does Dariq Whitehead have to do to prove he’s ready for expanded role with Nets?

This play was expected to beryllium astir subordinate development. While Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns handed the Nets their 5th consecutive nonaccomplishment connected Wednesday astatine Barclays Center, 108-84, fans could spot flashes of the future.

Brooklyn was erstwhile again decimated by injuries entering the night. D’Angelo Russell, Ben Simmons and 5 different cardinal rotation players were ruled retired earlier the game, and the Nets’ 24th starting lineup of the play didn’t diagnostic a existent constituent guard.

Keon Johnson and Tyrese Martin, some playing retired of position, were tasked with ball-handling duties. They had a pugnacious clip generating discourtesy early. The Nets started 1-for-8 from the tract and Phoenix raced retired to a 9-2 pb with 7:15 near successful the archetypal 4th and were up 28-16 entering the second. Brooklyn was shooting conscionable 6-for-20 from the tract and Durant dropped 11 points successful the opening quarter.

The Nets desperately needed offense, and Dariq Whitehead delivered.

Whitehead, a second-year defender whom the Nets selected with the 22nd wide prime successful the 2023 NBA Draft retired of Duke, was recalled from the G League earlier successful the day. He’s spent astir of the play connected Long Island and appeared successful conscionable 7 NBA games successful 2024-25 aft playing successful conscionable 2 successful 2023-24.

The 20-year-old entered the nighttime averaging conscionable 5.9 minutes per game, but whenever helium has stepped connected the tribunal for the Nets — and played extended minutes — he’s shown that his clip successful the G League this play has been clip good spent. In a 128-102 nonaccomplishment to the Chicago Bulls connected Dec. 2 — different crippled wherever Brooklyn was abbreviated connected bodies — helium played conscionable nether 24 minutes, scored a team-high 18 points and went 6-for-10 from 3-point range.

Whitehead had different coagulated violative crippled successful Wednesday’s loss, finishing with 12 points connected 4-for-7 shooting — the third-highest scoring output connected the team. He checked successful precocious successful the archetypal 4th and knocked down his archetypal 3-pointer of the nighttime with 21.8 seconds near successful the period. He past made 2 much treys successful the 2nd quarter, past showcased his betterment disconnected the dribble by slashing astir Mason Plumlee successful modulation and finished astatine the rim done contact.

Whitehead couldn’t implicit the 3-point play but enjoyed a flawless archetypal fractional otherwise: 4-for-4 from the tract and 3-for-3 from deep. He matched Durant with 8 points successful the 2nd quarter, which helped the Nets play Phoenix to a 26-26 draw. Brooklyn inactive trailed 54-42 astatine halftime, but if it weren’t for Whitehead, things would’ve gotten disfigured overmuch quicker.

Whitehead is present 11-for-21 (52.3%) from region successful 8 games this season. He missed 2 3-pointers successful the 2nd half, the past an airball changeable implicit the 7-8 wingspan of Bol Bol. He besides missed an 8-footer with 45.3 near and went 1-for-3 astatine the escaped propulsion line.

The Nets are 14-31 aft Wednesday’s loss. Young endowment was expected to beryllium prioritized this play and rotation players proceed to driblet similar flies. So, what other does the erstwhile 2023 first-round prime person to bash to beryllium he’s acceptable for an expanded role?

Confidence is simply a large portion of development. Whitehead has intelligibly recovered his. Still, helium played conscionable 15 minutes against the Suns.