The Hoops Whisperer

INSIDER

The Hoops Whisperer

It was the day before Halloween, and while costumes were at the ready across the city to turn kids into everything from the most popular superheroes to beloved characters, Jared Dudley was thinking about a different type of transformation.

The Brooklyn Nets forward knows that at 33 years old, it's not a bad idea to start thinking about a post-playing career. And he's built the kind of reputation throughout the league that he's easily pegged as someone who can stay around the game, whether it's as a coach, in a front office or in front of a camera.

With a hope of getting a clearer idea of what it means to pursue those paths, Dudley went about setting up a one-on-one-meeting with NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

"He's very open, honest," said Dudley. "I think that I wanted him to put a face to go with the name and a personality. It's something that since basketball's over in a blink of an eye, that meeting and conversation, now when we go on the street and he sees me and it goes both ways."

Their hour-long conversation was a true give-and-take. Dudley went looking for advice. Silver wanted to hear a veteran's perspective on a variety of issues that affect the league. One thing there's no doubt about; Dudley has wisdom to give.

Which is part of the reason he's here in Brooklyn after a summer trade from the Phoenix Suns.

Jarrett Allen has said he's "like the player-coach" and Caris LeVert calls him "a basketball junkie."

"Jared's the type of guy where he's very helpful in terms of dissecting the previous game, the games we're going to be having, just helping guys out and teaching them what to be looking for, what to be watching," said Joe Harris. "He's been around this league for a long time, played with a lot of great players, played for a lot of great coaches, been on winning teams. So his opinion is extremely valued."

Coach Kenny Atkinson has said that Dudley has been in the league longer than he has, which is almost right. They actually were NBA rookies together; Dudley in Charlotte after being drafted in the first round out of Boston College and Atkinson in Houston as a player development coach after more than a decade playing and coaching overseas.

“First of all, I’ll lean on them," said Atkinson during training camp of the arrival of Dudley and additional veterans. "Those guys are important for the head coach. You can get feedback from them, feedback on the team, you can get opinions on what we’re doing. So you’ve got a good connection there. And obviously because they’ve been in the league so long they’ll help the other guys on the team and help me.

"It’s more important than I thought it was, the vet label, and especially vet guys that can play that are in the rotation; they’re valuable members. I think that’ll help us grow, help our young guys a little quicker.”

Through 12 seasons and five teams before he got to Brooklyn -- with two stints in Phoenix -- Dudley has seen it all. He's played with Steve Nash, Shaquille O'Neal, Amar'e Stoudemire, Grant Hill, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Giannis Antetekounmpo and John Wall, among others.

It was in Phoenix, where he was traded 20 games into his second season in 2008, that Dudley began to thrive. He shot a career-high 45.8 percent from 3-point range in 2009-10 as the Suns won 54 games and went to the Western Conference finals. Even with that shooting touch, Dudley was never a big scorer. He peaked at 12.7 points per game two seasons later. But in the evolving NBA, that range took on greater importance that it ever had before. And his reputation grew as a player who did a little bit of everything, did all the little things, and helped elevate a team in his own way.

"You've got to know your role," said Dudley. "I was never built like someone who was 6-9 or 6-10, didn't have athleticism and became a good shooter. Wasn't a natural shooter. So for me, it's being smart. It's a guy, I used to look at Shane Battier; take angles, play the right way, a winner. Do all the little things.

"Some coaches don't see it, but the good ones do see it. Hearing Kenny acknowledge it, sometimes what I do doesn't even happen in the stat sheet. It might be flare screens. It might be being in the right position every time. Having a coach trust you. So for one, I knew that was my niche to stay in the league."

From Phoenix, Dudley went to Los Angeles, starting 43 games for a 57-win Clippers team in 2013-14, then to Milwaukee and Washington. As a free agent in the summer of 2016, he opted to return to Phoenix, but not before getting an enticing pitch from the new Brooklyn regime of Atkinson and general manager Sean Marks.

"Loved Kenny," said Dudley of his first impression. "It was his desire, his fire. If he were a car salesman, you would buy the car. His passion. And he was honest. He didn't know how good they were going to be. He said we're going to have fun, we're going to work. And we're going to have a free-flowing offense where everyone touches the ball. Boggle, side-to-side. Really how he explained me and how he viewed me was how I viewed myself. So we were on the same page of high IQ, knowing the reads, spacing the floor, using your angles."

The third year on the contract that Phoenix offered two summers ago was a major factor, but after the July trade, Dudley is spending that third year in Brooklyn anyway. It gives him the opportunity to live in New York for the first time, something he reluctantly passed up on in 2016. With his wife and three children under the age of 10, they're making the most of it.

"I love it," said Dudley. "I try a new restaurant once a week. I've been to the Nutcracker, U.S. Open, Bruno Mars concert, I'll probably go to the Canelo fight. You just want to experience it, because I don't think I'll ever live in New York again. It's something my wife loves and my kids are in the city, get to go to a public school and all be in the same school. I haven't driven one time. We walk everywhere, subway, Ubers. Embracing the city."

He's also found a bigger role than he expected with the Nets. Preseason or early-season injuries to Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, DeMarre Carroll and Treveon Graham presented opportunity at the forward spot that Hollis-Jefferson started at last season, and Dudley ended up getting in the starting lineup and turning in a few 30-plus minute efforts.

"He gives us veteran experience, and he really keeps the ball moving," said Atkinson. "That’s what the coaches like. He’s not a ball-holder. He makes other guys better. He facilitates for Caris, he facilitates for D’Angelo (Russell). It doesn’t stick in his hands, and he gives us some spacing out there. Defensively, you saw what Blake Griffin did the other night [scoring 50 points] and you saw what Jared did against him. That defensive experience, I’ve always felt like he’s been an underrated defender. To me, he’s been a plus for us so far."

Dudley has got some hoops left, and before he goes on to that next phase, he's sharing the wisdom he received a decade ago from Hill, Shaq, Nash, and others, connecting with a new group of young players in Brooklyn.

"You get in there, we play pickup, we do the shooting," said Dudley. "I'm in the weight room with you. And then it's in the locker room. And then through the course of time, through conversation, you kind of know, this guy's been around. He's got some good insight. It just builds. And then when you're out there playing and they see, hey, he's being successful without scoring or his team's winning, and you're telling them to do this and once they see the rewards of that, then it builds more trust. It's not for too long that you're out there leading in different capacities."

"He loves the game," said LeVert. "Has a really high basketball IQ. So he loves being in those situations. I'm someone who loves the game as well, so I love to hear from him."