Veterans have carried Nets to surprising start

NEW ORLEANS — Monday is Veterans Day. But it’s a different group of vets — the older leaders on the Nets roster — that are behind Brooklyn’s surprising start.

Having committed to a rebuild, the Nets were projected to be the worst team in the league and muster a win total in the teens.

But they’ll go into New Orleans on Monday a shockingly competitive 4-6, having played hard and nearly won at reigning champ Boston and unbeaten Cleveland.

And much of that is due to Dennis Schroder, Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith.

Coach Jordi Fernandez has to determine how much to play that trio, as general manager Sean Marks must gauge whether or not to deal them — as well as when and for what.

The Nets are an odd rebuilding team, clearly trying to win and proving capable of doing so more due to their vets than their youth.

For perspective, Johnson leads Brooklyn in Win Shares per Basketball Reference, Schroder is second, Nic Claxton third and Finney-Smith fourth. But Schroder and Finney-Smith are 31-years old and Johnson 28. By and large, other than Claxton and Cam Thomas, 23, the rest of the youth has been inconsistent at best.

Meanwhile, the veterans may come in overworked.

Schroder entered Sunday fifth in the league in minutes logged at 352. Thomas was ninth (346), Johnson tied for 13th (340), while Finney-Smith is fourth on the team at 289.

On the tail end of a back-to-back Saturday, Schroder played every second of the fourth quarter and looked tired on some uncharacteristic plays. Fernandez fell on the proverbial sword and admitted he had to do a better job with rotations.

But Schroder rejected fatigue as an alibi.

“That’s not an excuse. I mean, it’s whatever it takes,” Schroder said.

Part of the issue is Ben Simmons — the only other proven point guard on the roster — sat out Sunday, still not cleared for back-to-backs.

That left Fernandez choosing between backup combo guard Shake Milton and Keon Johnson, with Killian Hayes down in the G-League.

“Dennis played 37 minutes. I know it’s a little bit high for my taste. I like to keep my starters at like 33 to 34, 32, 34,” said Fernandez. “The first half I played him a lot, played him 20 and then 17 in the second.

“[But] I trust all these guys. I trust Shake, I trust Keon bringing the ball, Jalen [Wilson], all these guys. So right now it is what it is. Ben obviously is a very good player that gives us a primary ball handler, but I trust all these guys, and I have no doubt that they can make it happen for us to win games.”

Day’Ron Sharpe, Trendon Watford and Bojan Bogdanovic are out Monday.

Brooklyn won’t face Zion Williamson, with the Pelicans star out due to a left hamstring strain. Trey Murphy is returning from his own hamstring injury.