Brooklyn Nets: 2017-18 player grades for D’Angelo Russell

Strengths

What made DLo such an enticing prospect to begin with was his ability to get buckets. No matter the arena, no matter the level of play, DLo was always a candidate to get hot. As anyone can attest to, scoring is a fundamental element of any star’s game.

Guards who can attack off the dribble are coveted in today’s NBA, with the likes of Stephen Curry and James Harden captaining elite squads. DLo fits this bill in theory, and his ability to scorch off the dribble was extremely fun to watch in spurts.

One night that epitomized his ceiling best was March 13, when he scorched the nets with seven 3-pointers in one quarter. That’s not a typo; that’s Klay Thompson-esque bucket-getting.

Although DLo has the reputation of a score-first guard, he is not one-dimensional; he’s also an excellent passer. He utilized his superb vision well in Brooklyn, where he averaged 1.6 more assists (5.2 per game) than he did over his two seasons in Hollywood (3.6 per game).

As the highlights slide will elaborate on, Russell has the capability to drop dimes at an elite level. Given a more spacious lineup (i.e. more shooters), DLo could have quite a bit of fun setting up shooters and slashers.

Coach Kenny Atkinson made full use of this offensive versatility, using him in a myriad of ways. From initiating to cutting to spotting up, DLo did it all, and showed flashes of just how good he can be.