Hoops Habit
Fansided

Brooklyn Nets: Riding with the rookie Rodions Kurucs

By Alec Liebsch

WASHINGTON, DC -  NOVEMBER 16: Rodions Kurucs #00 of the Brooklyn Nets handles the ball against the Washington Wizards on November 16, 2018 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC -  NOVEMBER 16: Rodions Kurucs #00 of the Brooklyn Nets handles the ball against the Washington Wizards on November 16, 2018 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

A big part of the Brooklyn Nets’ recent success has come from an unlikely source, rookie Rodions Kurucs.

When the Brooklyn Nets went on that eight-game losing streak, it seemed like the 2018-19 season was a lost cause. Caris LeVert was set to miss a lot of time, and the offensive hierarchy seemed to collapse before our very eyes. Fans and pundits pondered the idea of packing it in for a high draft pick because the roster wasn’t good enough for the future.

How quickly things can change. After reeling off eight in their last nine games, including their second season win over the upper-tier Philadelphia 76ers, things are finally starting to fall into place.

One of the emerging bright spots of this stretch has been rookie Rodions Kurucs of Latvia. As the No. 40 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Kurucs has already exceeded expectations.

Before coming over from Europe, Kurucs was a very raw prospect. In EuroLeague’s second division, he only accumulated 59 total minutes throughout the 2017-18 campaign. He had a lot of uncertainty clouding his future, as such a small sample size deterred many NBA teams from selecting him.

If anyone is going to be bold in their scouting process, it’s the Nets. From selecting an injured Caris LeVert to discovering Joe Harris, this front office has often been ahead of the curve. It’s hard to assume the team knew Kurucs would be this good this quickly, but it had the chutzpah to find out.

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images /

In the few minutes Kurucs got early on, he always seemed to leave a positive impact. His shooting stroke is clean, his I.Q. is above-average for a rookie, and he defends better than advertised. For as raw of a prospect as he was considered before the draft, he’s far more advanced than that. He’s already being grouped with the other draft gems Brooklyn has unearthed in recent years.

These qualities thrust Kurucs into a solid role over the past few weeks, and he has started the past six games for Brooklyn. In this stretch, Kurucs has averaged 12.8 points (on 8.5 shots), 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 27.6 minutes per game.

His threat as a shooter (41.2 percent from 3 in six starts) and slasher (16-for-25 in the restricted area as a starter) make him a better offensive fit at the 4 than Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, while his defensive versatility and intelligence allow him to play next to a bigger wing like Hollis-Jefferson.

His two-way presence allows him to exist on both ends without being a liability one way (RHJ is a terrible shooter) or the other (Allen Crabbe has lead feet on D).

He bolsters the argument that positions don’t really matter, because he can not only defend several positions, but also handle the ball on offense. That matters a lot in head coach Kenny Atkinson’s system, which is egalitarian with how it shares the ball. Kurucs’ ability to initiate off a defensive board helps immensely, as other players can look to cut instead of worrying about who has the ball.

Next. Week 11 NBA Power Rankings. dark

Thanks to Kurucs’ ascent, a deep roster just got deeper. The fact that he was found that late in the draft is yet another credit to this front office’s scouting.

Home/Brooklyn Nets