Brooklyn Nets: Rookie Rodions Kurucs coming on strong

The second round of the NBA draft is a lottery, more so than the first 14 picks. General managers are looking for the long shot who will contribute to their team, and the Brooklyn Nets may have found one in Rodions Kurucs.

The Brooklyn Nets have pulled off what every team wants to do, using their second round pick to draft a contributing player. With the 40th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Nets selected Latvian forward Rodions Kurucs.

It’s safe to say that this selection did not rate as highly as the other recent Latvian pick. Kristaps Porzingis was taken with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Daft by the New York Knicks, to mixed reactions. However, like his countryman, Kurucs has been a revelation and has captured the hearts of his fanbase.

He’s done this by playing some incredibly solid ball. So far in his rookie year, Kurucs is averaging 9.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. His shooting splits are also impressive, at .495/.346/.913 — not bad for a player who only got a spot in the rotation thanks to injuries to Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and DeMarre Carroll at the start of the season.

Kurucs has not missed a game since Dec. 7 after only playing nine of a possible 26 games at the start of the season. He made his first start on Dec. 14 after Allen Crabbe went down with a bruised knee. As with any hungry player in the NBA, once given the opportunity, he will not give it back without a fight.

The Kurucs impact

Since Kurucs was inserted into the starting lineup, the Nets have gone 12-5, which has them back at .500 on the season and in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. In that time, he has averaged 11.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, so it’s safe to say he’s not being overwhelmed by the role.

Kurucs has shown the ability to score in bunches. Right from his second game, he’s scored well. He had 11 points in the Nets’ first win of the season, against their crosstown rival. He followed that up with 12 points in the next game.

The Latvian has scored 10 points or more 14 times in his 29 games, which is an impressive feat for any rookie, let alone a second round pick. What is even more impressive is Kurucs has two games where he’s scored more than 20 points, though unfortunately, the Nets lost both of those games.

Adding to the impressive statistics Kurucs is accumulating, he has two double-doubles, and they came were in successive games. What is even better is the Nets won both of these contests.

Kurucs has also shown he’s not afraid on the defensive end of the court. He is often given difficult defensive matchups, with the most difficult probably being Kyrie Irving of the Boston Celtics. Kurucs was not afraid of the moment and did a competent job. At 6’9″, this shows the kind of versatility that is crucial in today’s NBA.

The Nets are not contenders this year — of that there is absolutely no doubt. They are still in the rebuilding phase, and with two first round picks and a number of expiring contracts this summer, they should be busy. There are still so many holes in the roster that need to be filled.

With that being said, the drafting of Rodions Kurucs has potentially sped this process up by a season or two.