ORLANDO — The Nets need Ziaire Williams to get back to guarding the way he did a year ago, and Jordi Fernández challenged him to do so.
On Friday, the young forward responded with his best defensive effort of the season.
“Zaire, he was a defender that we wanted,” Fernández said. “We got the deflections that we want.”
Williams snapped an offensive funk with 15 points on 6 of 11 from the floor in the Nets’ 105-98 loss Friday at Orlando, coming in having averaged just six points on .233 shooting and .208 from deep over his prior four games.
But it was his work on the other end that was most auspicious.
The forward notched a season-high three steals, got in passing lanes and finished plus-4 in 36:05 after being an aggregate minus-46 in his last four.
“(Defense) fuels me a lot. That’s where my energy comes from is being that spark on the defensive end and helping that translate to the offensive side. I need to do a better job for my teammates of holding my assignment better and being dialed-in at all times. So I feel like I’ve let them down a little bit the last couple games. So I’ll be on it,” Williams said beforehand, admitting he’d been pressing.
“Yeah, for sure. Definitely. Just trying to do too many things at once. Trying to save the world in one play. You know, it’s just my competitiveness. But it happens. So it’s all a learning process. And I’ve had good conversations with Jordi and the coaches who watch film on me and stuff. So, I’m excited to get after it.”
Day’Ron Sharpe returned from his glute injury and had four points and five rebounds in just 14:11.
Cam Thomas was out with a hamstring, while rookies Danny Wolf, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf were all on G League Assignment.
