What the heck is going on with the Brooklyn Nets?

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 5: Head Coach Kenny Atkinson, Jarrett Allen #31 and D'Angelo Russell #1 of the Brooklyn Nets during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Barclays Center on December 5, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. 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 Matteo Marchi/Getty Images) /

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Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images /

No closer

Part of LeVert’s rising stardom in the early part of the season was his ability to close games. He had two game-winning buckets with seconds ticking down, and his work in crunch time gave the Nets a few wins they probably shouldn’t have.

Every team needs a guy like that, and Brooklyn is desperate for one. D’Angelo Russell is a good NBA player, but he’s made far too many mistakes when possessions really matter. He’s predictable with the ball, and doesn’t break down defenses as easily when he’s zeroed in on.

Spencer Dinwiddie has his moments, such as his game-winner over the Detroit Pistons, but they’re few and far between. Often the team’s best way to get a bucket is a step-back 3-pointer from Dinwiddie, and while those are fun when they go in, they rarely do. They’re low-percentage shots for any player, really.

Russell and Dinwiddie don’t necessarily have to be those guys. The Los Angeles Clippers have a bevy of scoring options, but their closer is Lou Williams, not leading scorer Tobias Harris. The Denver Nuggets look to Jamal Murray, not Nikola Jokic, when the going gets tough. Teams can survive when role players take on that challenge.

But if not one of those two, who else could it be?

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