Brooklyn Nets: 5 takeaways from 2017-18 NBA season

By Alec Liebsch | Apr 12, 2018

Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images /

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Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images /

3. D’Angelo Russell has some work to do

As another young cornerstone, guard D’Angelo Russell seems like a perfect fit for head coach Kenny Atkinson’s egalitarian offense. However, the theoretical fit has not gone as well as some hoped.

Russell’s best attribute, scoring, has certainly translated. He averaged 15.5 points in 25.6 minutes per game, although it took 14.0 shots a night to get there. A below-average shooting efficiency of 41.4 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from 3 is not going to cut it as the initiator of this offense.

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DLo also showcased some great passing vision when running the offense solo, but such plays were few and far between. He will need to maintain focus on a consistent basis instead of just getting away with the flashy plays.

Russell exhibited an ability to score off the dribble and hit contested shots, but there is a crucial reason why he was hounded by defenders in the first place: his dribbling. Some nights he breaks a dude’s ankles; other nights he commits seven turnovers due to poor ball security.

As the main facilitator and first option, DLo must improve in this regard. The play of the team’s nominal “point guard,” has a trickle-down effect on the rest of the lineup.

This is crucially evident when dissecting Atkinson’s scheme at its core. The point guard has to be able to create his own shot in order to force the defender to play him tight. This opens up passing lanes, lob targets and open 3-pointers. However, all of those opportunities are nullified if he cannot maintain control of the ball.

This is obviously a skill he can improve on, and probably will. But until then, he and the Nets’ offense together will be hampered.

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