Dariq Whitehead is still young. When prospects’ names are called by Adam Silver and Mark Tatum on the nights of June 25 and 26, one in three will be older than him, including one in six in the first round. The Nets second year pro is still only 20. That of course is only half his story. The 6’7” wing has had three leg surgeries between August 22 and January 2024, leading in each case to lengthy recovery and rehab.
Now, after playing a near full season on Long Island (29 games), he’s back up with Brooklyn for what is an end-of-the-year evaluation and an extended one at that. Wednesday night, after being called up from Long Island, he had nine points, two rebounds and one assist in 25 minutes while shooting 3-of-9 from deep. Expect more of the same as the Brooklyn Nets season winds down. Erik Slater of Clutch Points asked Jordi Fernandez what he thought of Whitehead’s initial test in his evaluation?
“The rookies, the young guys, it’s more about habits and learning how to be a pro,” said the head coach, a rookie himself. “The day-to-day work ethic and knowing the schemes and knowing personnel and studying the game. It’s a process for him. He’s gotta buy into all these things. He shows up and works. And now, when he has these minutes, he has to take advantage of them. So learning all that is extremely important.
“It’s not just about shooting threes. He can do that very well, but also it’s not getting lost on the weakside defensive, and so on and so forth. We’ll definitely watch film with him, encouraging him to be one percent better next game. That’s what we have. We have this stretch of nine games where the process doesn’t stop, being positive doesn’t stop, working doesn’t stop.”
Whitehead has had his moments both in the G League and NBA this season. While averaging 12.7 points a game for the affiliate, he had games of 26 back on November 4, hitting 6-of-12 threes, and 30 more recently on February 23, hitting 8-of-12 ... and winning the game...
And in his first stay in Brooklyn back in December, he had an 18 point game, a 6-of-10 outing. Confidence builders all. Overall, he’s shooting 46,9% from deep— 15-of-32 — in 11 Brooklyn games.
Besides, the Newark native has a bit of a cushion in the evaluation process, unlike all but one of the Nets nine players under 25. He and Noah Clowney are already under contract next season, both earning a bit more than $3 million on their rookie deals. The others are free agents, restricted or unrestricted
And after the evaluation process is over, he will also have a luxury he hasn’t had so far in his career: a summer to, as he has said, to work on his body and his game.
“I haven’t had a summer yet since high school where I can be able to work on my body, work on my game, and get stronger,” he told our Scott Mitchell after that big G League game in February. “This season leading into this summer is going to be the first one. So, I’m looking forward to taking advantage of it and continuing to stack days.”
He has acknowledged that he’s still missing the final piece of explosiveness that made him the National High School Player of the Year at Montverde Academy back in 2022. He’s only shooting 20.0% from two in Brooklyn, 38.0% in Long Island. He admits there’s an adjustment process.
“Just competing every day,” Whitehead said of expectations, also in talking to Slater. “I mean, growing up you always were the best player wherever you played and you always were the most talented.
“And now in the NBA, you got guys who are just as [good] if not better than you are. For me, it’s more so, I’ve been hurt for two years, just coming back and learning to compete every day. Have that edge, have that fire. I’m not injured no more. I don’t have any more injuries. So, just coming in and giving it my all and not taking any plays off.”
After the evaluation and the summer, Whitehead thinks he’ll get a bigger opportunity next season. He plans to seize it.
“I’ll get a larger opportunity from there. Right now, I’m just trying to make sure I perfect that role before I’ll be able to gain a larger role, hopefully. If that’s next year or whatever it may be. So just showing that I can do the things they want me to do, so that eventually leads to more in the future.”
Whitehead, of course, has a lot of fans rooting for him. He has the narrative going for him. Everyone likes comeback kid stories. Plus he’s local. Last night, it seemed like every time he did something well, make the three, steal the ball, the cheers were louder. And on the bench, his teammates were similarly enthusiastic.
There was also a teaching/learning moment for Fernandez and Whitehead in the second quarter that got noticed. Whitehead missed on a three then passed up an open catch-and-shoot three on the next possession. Fernandez called him over and seemed to say don’t hesitate.
That, maybe more than anything, could be the key lesson learned for Whitehead the next two weeks. Just go for it. Everyone wants to see you succeed.