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Brooklyn Nets: 3 takeaways from Game 5 elimination vs. 76ers

By Daniel Lubofsky

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 23: Caris LeVert #22 and D'Angelo Russell #1 of the Brooklyn Nets look on from the scorers table prior to the start of the fourth quarter of Game Five of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on April 23, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Nets 122-100. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 23: Caris LeVert #22 and D'Angelo Russell #1 of the Brooklyn Nets look on from the scorers table prior to the start of the fourth quarter of Game Five of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on April 23, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Nets 122-100. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

1. D’Angelo Russell’s disappointing performance

D’Angelo Russell was phenomenal in leading the Nets all season long. The fourth-year guard averaged a career-high 21.1 points and 7.0 assists per game during the regular season, qualifying for his first All-Star Game with a number of back-breaking daggers throughout.

In his first taste of playoff basketball, Russell failed to rise to the challenge. The first four games of the series saw him average 22.3 points, but he shot just 39.5 percent from the field with only 3.8 assists per game. In Game 5, he didn’t exactly go down swinging, failing to crack double-digits in the scoring column while hitting only one of his six 3-point attempts.

DLo will be a restricted free agent this summer, and he is perhaps the most interesting player on the market. He is a talented scorer and playmaker, that’s for sure. His game, however, is not analytically sound with plenty of in-between floaters and just 2.5 free throw attempts per game. Fair or not, front offices take that stuff into consideration when assessing available free agents.

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The Nets are looking to go big-game hunting come July 1 with the possibility of adding two max-level players to their roster. Brooklyn will have to decide whether or not it wants to use some of that money on this young star or not. After his inaugural postseason outing, there may be reason to pause.

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