A total of four rotation players, including three starters, were sidelined for the Brooklyn Nets during their game against the Miami Heat. The Nets still ended up pulling away with the win, using their bench depth to carry them to their second-straight victory, 109-105.
One of the biggest bench pieces in the game was a guard Armoni Brooks who is playing on a two-way contract with the Nets. He scored 17 points on 6/7 shooting from the field and 5/6 from beyond the arc.
“It just all comes down to your preparation, your work ethic, teammates, and the coaching staff having trust in you,” Brooks said after the Heat game. “You never know when it’s going to come but, you know when you hear your name called, you got to be ready and just go out there and execute.”
With both Spencer Dinwiddie and Dennis Smith Jr. sidelined, there was a need for backcourt depth for Brooklyn, beyond Cam Thomas and Ben Simmons. They decided to call up Brooks who was with their G-League affiliate, the Long Island Nets on Tuesday morning.
Brooks immediately boarded a plane to Miami and then practiced afterward. He followed that up with his 17-point performance off the bench while also posting the highest plus-minus line of the game, with a +30.
The Houston University product lived up to his profile as a sharpshooter as he lit up the Heat with his deadly shooting from deep. Teaming up with Lonnie Walker, Brooks provided the scoring punch off the bench that Coach Jacque Vaughn required, especially with primary scorer Cameron Thomas struggling in the game.
Dinwiddie and Johnson are the Nets’ two best spot-up shooters but with those two being sidelined, there was a massive void, waiting to be filled. Brooks came in clutch for the Nets as he came to Miami on short notice and proved why he deserves a spot on the roster.
He is only on a two-way contract but he might have earned a possible guaranteed deal if he continues to play this way. With the injury report remaining like this, Brooks will have to play more minutes which he will likely see as an opportunity to shine.
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