NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets forward Maxwell Lewis has been trying to work on his game ever since he came to the Nets in a midseason trade from the Los Angeles Lakers. While Lewis did not play much when he first came to Brooklyn, he found his way into the rotation and has shown some promising signs of improvement thanks to the freedom given under head coach Jordi Fernandez.
"I feel like I just bring energy. But, to say how it was, I was so blessed," Lewis said to the media after practice on Saturday. Lewis made the first start of his NBA career in Thursday's 105-90 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, a game in which Lewis played 27 minutes and put up 10 points, six rebounds, and two assists against Anthony Edwards and company.
"They (the coaching staff) said it during film, like three of the guys were staring at me to get my reaction," Lewis continued. "They (the players) wanted me to be all goofy, but I just tried to keep a poker face. I feel like (in) the game, I just brought a lot of energy. I didn't shoot it well, but, just shooting it was good for me, just getting them off."
Lewis came to Brooklyn towards the end of December in a trade from the Lakers that also brought D'Angelo Russell back to the Nets for his second stint with the franchise. Upon arriving, Lewis was primarily a player who only came off the bench during blowouts given the amount of depth on the team, especially on the wings with players like Cam Johnson and Ziaire Williams being available for most of the season.
To that point, Lewis saw his first taste of actual minutes in a 115-113 loss to the Boston Celtics on Mar. 15 where he played 16 minutes and put forth a solid stat line of 15 points and two rebounds. Since then, Lewis is averaging 7.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 42.6% from the field and 41.7% from three-point range in what has been a welcomed change in his career.
"Being with the Lakers, I really didn't play, you know? I (was) more of a G league guy," Lewis explained. "So being here and just doing what I'm doing, I just feel comfortable. I feel like I could do this all along. But, just doing it and showing it consistently."
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Maxwell Lewis reacts to first start, seeing more playing time
