NBA

Nets rookie Brooks making early impact

ORLANDO, Fla. — MarShon Brooks admits the information is coming awfully quick. He’s getting it from here, there and everywhere and with the NBA season condensed down with so very little practice time, it can get overwhelming.

“They’re all doing a great job. Jordan [Farmar] is helping me a lot. Deron [Williams] is helping. DeShawn Stevenson is helping me defensively and I’m listening to the coaches,” said the rookie who has a homecoming of sorts tonight when the Nets play in Atlanta where he went to high school after being born in New Jersey. “They’re all doing a great job but maybe with all of them, they’re all talking a little too much.”

Brooks might be feeling a little information overload. Granted, there are lapses on the court— he’s a rookie — but for the second straight game last night, Brooks emerged as the Nets’ leading scorer. After getting 17 against Atlanta Tuesday, Brooks dumped in 17 more where the Magic and Dwight Howard overwhelmed the Nets, 94-78. Through three games, Brooks is averaging 13.3 points — third-best — and shooting .441.

“When I came off the bench [against Orlando], we just needed some scoring. We couldn’t score,” Brooks said. “I just wanted to create extra opportunities and try to be aggressive.”

That he did, and it was that aggressiveness that drew two differing reviews from a pair of veteran NBA scouts.

“He can score, not doubt. When they need that, he can give it,” said one scout.

But the other was turned off a bit, noting, “It’s not a competition. Too many times, he looks like he’s competing for shots.”

But Nets coach Avery Johnson said he wants Brooks to seek his shots. Take and make, Johnson calls it.

“The kid’s playing hard, and he’s playing with a lot of confidence,” said Johnson, who promises more 1-on-1 time with his rookie. “He’s fearless. We just want him to play his game and pretty much what he’s doing is the reason why we drafted him. We like the way he can pass, dribble and shoot. And when you’ve got a guard who can do all three of those things, that’s pretty good.

“He has to understand people really care about him. If he wasn’t getting this much attention from the coaches or his teammates, maybe they wouldn’t see anything in his potential.”

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said he also is impressed by the rookie, noting a team can live with youngsters’ mistakes.

“The thing I always notice about guys first is just how hard they play and their energy level,” Van Gundy said. “Especially with young guys, you expect that they’re going to make some mistakes. But he plays the game very hard in a very high energy level. He runs the floor, he can attack the basket and he’s got some good offensive skills but I like the energy that he plays with. It looks to me like they’ve got a good young wing player in him.”

Brooks, who went back to Providence during the lockout to finish his degree but will need to complete it in the offseason (he is soooo close — “one class to finish up and a couple of assignments,” he said), hopes to show that energy tonight in front of friends and family, including his mom. How many?

“No clue. I need a lot of tickets. A lot. Leave it at that,” he said.

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Williams said he’s “frustrated,” and is rushing through the offense.

“I’m a person that relies on knowing where my teammates are and getting them involved and getting my confidence off getting assists. And I’m not doing that. I’m turning the ball over,” said Williams who had six turnovers last night for a three-game total of 14. “So I’m just frustrated right now. I’ve got to do a better job of taking care of the ball, just relaxing and just playing basketball — not overthinking.”

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One of the reasons behind the new lineup last night was to jump start the offense early, hopefully get Mehmet Okur going and with Sundiata Gaines in the backcourt, relieve some of the defensive pressure on Williams. Well, the Nets were an offensive nightmare early again.

They shot a miserable 6-of-23 (.261) in the first quarter. After they went 5-of-20 (.250) in Washington and 5-of-22 (.227) against the Hawks, the Nets are a pathetic 16-of-65 (.246) in their three first quarters combined.

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DeShawn Stevenson was one of the few bright spots in the Nets offense against the Magic. He nailed 3-of-4 of his 3-point shots, finishing with nine points. He is still working his way into shape.

“I am doing a lot of training,” said Stevenson, who won a ring in Dallas last season. “I am running stairs before the game, doing stuff with the strength coach.

“You want that first shot to go down and it went down,” Stevenson said. “It kept going down.”

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The Nets are averaging 79.3 points per game, shooting .363. … Kris Humphries is averaging 10.7 rebounds. … The 3-point arc has been a two-way nightmare: The Nets are shooting 17-of-67 (.254), and opponents are at 22-of-51 (.431).