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Brooklyn Nets: Putting the panic button away

By Alec Liebsch

BROOKLYN, NY - NOVEMBER 02: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Head coach Kenny Atkinson of the Brooklyn Nets reacts during a game against the Houston Rockets at Barclays Center on November 2, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Rockets defeated the Nets 119-111. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
BROOKLYN, NY - NOVEMBER 02: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Head coach Kenny Atkinson of the Brooklyn Nets reacts during a game against the Houston Rockets at Barclays Center on November 2, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Rockets defeated the Nets 119-111. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images /

Next man up…or so we thought

When a team loses its best player, the main school of thought is that another player needs to step into that role to keep the hierarchy stable. Next on the food chain are Spencer Dinwiddie and D’Angelo Russell, but their production in increased roles has been unfulfilling.

For reference, let’s take a look at their good games recently. First up was the Washington Wizards, a team in complete disarray.

Dinwiddie played really well in this game (25 points on 13 shots, eight assists), but let’s not act like the Wizards are world-beaters on defense. John Wall has his moments, but he’s not consistent on the point-preventing end. Russell’s 23 points on 16 shots were solid, but again, the matchup. The Wizards are currently a dumpster fire.

Next we have the Los Angeles Clippers, currently among the league’s best through a quarter of the season. The Nets lost, but only by eight.

Russell got another 23 points on 16 shots, this time draining five of his seven 3-point attempts. Against good defensive guards like Patrick Beverley and Shea Gilgeous-Alexander, that’s reputable.

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Dinwiddie was abysmal though, hitting only three of his 16 shots overall. His subpar floor-spacing was exposed on this night, as he forced up quite a few heavily contested shots.

Then came the Miami Heat, a team that started zero point guards in this particular contest. The expectation was that Dinwiddie and Russell both would eat quite a bit, which was not quite the case.

Russell scored 20, but needed 22 shots to do so. The Heat have good defenders on the wings, which makes them versatile enough to switch onto guards, but Russell should be able to play mismatches like a fiddle with his talent.

Dinwiddie’s 16 points (on 12 shots) and seven assists were nice, as he looked more aggressive. His driving opened up a lot of shots for teammates, and that penetration will be desperately needed going forward.

Yes there were bright spots from both of these players, but only in the Philadelphia 76ers game did either one really stand out. And for all that Philly has in talent, it severely lacks competent defensive guards. Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler can’t be tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best player every possession.

Why am I so critical of these two, who might be in roles they can’t quite handle? Because excellent work has to be done for this team to stay afloat. LeVert’s greatness for the first three weeks was wonderful, but it was also necessary to mask other deficiencies.

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