Nets pushing Jalen Wilson to improve on defensive end

ORLANDO, Fla. — Nets sophomore Jalen Wilson has carried complete his Summer League MVP shape into a beardown violative commencement successful nan regular season.

But now Jordi Fernandez has fixed him a instruction to amended connected nan different extremity of nan court.

“Yeah, I want to spot much defense. And I want him to understand nan challenge,” Fernandez said after Friday’s 116-101 nonaccomplishment successful Orlando. “It’s not conscionable that you’re going to spell retired location and people 16 and person a awesome crippled offensively. A hoops crippled is simply a crippled that you’ve sewage to play connected some ends, and that’s what I request from him.

Jalen Wilson defends against Anthony Black during nan Nets’ 116-101 nonaccomplishment to nan Magic connected Oct. 25, 2024. Mike Watters-Imagn Images

“And nan reality is I cognize that he’s much than capable. So if he hasn’t done it, there’s only 1 measurement you study successful life is erstwhile they return things distant from you. And arsenic bully of a kid he is — and he useful his tail disconnected — each clip I situation him and I show him, he ever responds. So I cognize J-Wil will beryllium a very bully subordinate connected some ends, a two-way player. But that’s what I’m going to demand. If I spot 1 time that he’s not, I’m going to fto him go. And that goes for everybody, too.”

What Wilson had taken distant was playing time.

After 16 points successful 33:58 successful nan season-opening nonaccomplishment successful Atlanta, Wilson logged conscionable 13:10 2 nights later against nan Magic.

He vanished a scoreless minus-17.

For his part, nan second-round prime sewage nan connection and vowed to statement up his defense.

“Of course. Of people I’m ever down for what nan squad needs to do. That’s been who I americium my full life. So watch film, get amended from it and attack Milwaukee successful nan correct way,” said Wilson.

“J-Wil, he’s sewage to look a small spot to (Ziaire Williams) and unit a small spot more. I deliberation nan coaches want a small spot much shot pressure,” said Dennis Schroder.

Jalen Wilson defends Wendell Carter Jr. during nan Nets’ loss. Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Nic Claxton upped his playing clip aft being connected a strict minutes regularisation successful nan play opener. He had 4 points, 5 boards, 3 assists, a artifact and a bargain to decorativeness a team-high positive 11 successful 20:26.

He’d logged conscionable 15:25 successful nan opener aft missing nan preseason pinch a hamstring injury.

“Now that he’s done playing, we person to measure really his assemblage feels. Then erstwhile that happens, past we tin measure nan adjacent step,” said Fernandez. “We tin summation nan minutes, evidently we want him to play starting minutes. But we person to beryllium smart pinch it. Health is No. 1.”

The Post exclusively reported that Ian Eagle is successful superior talks to subordinate Amazon erstwhile its Prime Video work adds nan NBA adjacent season.

Eagle calls nationalist NBA games connected TNT and nan Nets connected YES Network.

The second isn’t expected to change.

“Ian has been a weighted personnel of nan YES family since 2002, and we expect that he will beryllium pinch america for years to come,” a YES spokesperson told The Post.

Bojan Bogdanovic, Trenton Watford and Day’ron Sharpe were each out.

Orlando’s Jonathan Isaac sat retired pinch a near hep injury.

In announcing nan opening of its 2 caller high-end clubs astatine Barclays Center, BSE Global besides revealed a five-year $100 cardinal renewal that includes a caller halfway hung scoreboard and sound system.