SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Mason Plumlee didn’t take long to force Jason Kidd’s hand.
After the rookie big man from Duke didn’t play in either of the Nets’ first two games of the season, and then only got a brief garbage-time cameo in the third, it looked as if Plumlee was far from being a part of the rotation.
But after playing more than 15 minutes in two of the last three games, including performing well against the undefeated Pacers in Saturday’s loss in Brooklyn, it looks as if Plumlee is going to get a chance to prove himself.
“He’s a rookie, so as much as we can get him in to get minutes and see how he responds, that’s what I’m trying to do,” Kidd said of Plumlee before the Nets’ 107-86 loss to the Kings at Sleep Train Arena Wednesday.
“He’s done great. He’s done everything that we’ve asked. Again, he’s still a rookie, it’s not always going to be perfect, but he plays hard.”
Plumlee impressed in his latest appearances, which came at the expense of minutes for Reggie Evans, and was particularly strong against the Pacers. In 16 minutes, he finished with six points and three rebounds, showing some nice touch finishing around the basket and constantly being active on the floor.
He scored three points and grabbed five rebounds in 18 minutes Wednesday night.
“He’s young,” Kidd said with a smile, referring to Plumlee’s work ethic. “For him, that shouldn’t be a problem. Again, you can see his growth from the summer to today, and for that, he’s doing the right things.
“He’s getting better, so you have to reward him.”
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Kevin Garnett has said multiple times recently he wants to try to be “more aggressive” offensively. What did he mean by that?
“That means being more productive with the shots that I’m given,” Garnett said. “When we all got together here we all understood you have to give part of your game for the next guy, and I have no problem with that.
“I just want to be more productive on the offensive end, that’s all.”
Entering Wednesday night’s game, Garnett was shooting 32.1 percent (17-for-53) from the field for the season, averaging 6.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in 23.2 minutes per game.
He struggled again in losing to the Kings, finishing the game 2-for-9 from the field, and had six points and eight rebounds in 14 minutes.