After over two months of recovery, D’Angelo Russell is set to make his return to the court when the Nets (16-29) face the Heat (26-18) on Friday night.
It is a much-needed boost for a team has struggled of late, winning only three of its last 10 games. Brooklyn has been competitive in all but two of those games, but it’s clear that the team’s efficiency in scoring has dipped in that span.
Since Jan. 1, the Nets are last in the NBA in offensive rating (96.9). That’s a significant decline from November, where the team was a respectable 18th in the league (103.8). That’s where Russell can make a difference.
The 21-year-old was averaging 20.9 points, 5.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds before he went out with injury on Nov. 11. He won’t solve all of the team’s problems on offense, but his ability there is unquestioned. In 12 games, he scored 28 or more three times. There’s been just one 30-point performance in his absence, Spencer Diniwiddie’s 31 against the Raptors on Jan. 8. Considering the Nets’ improvement on defense – going from 21st in the league in defensive rating to sixth since Jan. 1 – it could be the difference between close losses to wins.
Russell might only see limited minutes on Friday, so expectations should be measured. Still, it could be the difference needed to snap a five-game skid at Barclays Center.
Here’s Three Things to Watch For:
Can the Nets’ Bench Have a Repeat Performance Against the Heat?
Brooklyn got arguably its best win of the season against Miami and the team’s bench played a big role in the 111-87 result on Dec. 29.
The Nets trailed 18-8 early in the first quarter, but then their second unit came in and completely changed the game. Led by Caris LeVert and Joe Harris, the team went on a 16-2 run to finish out the quarter with a 24-20 lead. The second unit would end up outscoring the Heat’s bench 32-6 in the first half. Kenny Atkinson will need more of the same on Friday.
Miami is one of the NBA’s hottest teams, responding to that loss by going 8-1 since. Erik Spoelstra appears to be inspired by his predecessor Pat Riley as the Heat are playing a throwback, 90s style of basketball. They are one of the slowest teams in the league in pace (27th), focusing on dominating defensively – as evidenced by holding the Bucks to just 79 points on Jan. 14.
Brooklyn’s bench will need to be effective in keeping the tempo up if the team wants to pull out a win against the Eastern Conference’s fourth-best team.
Key Matchup: Dinwiddie vs. Goran Dragic
It’s the tale of two games.
In the Nets’ loss in Mexico City on Dec. 9, Dragic had a strong performance with 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Dinwiddie struggled in that game, going 5-for-15 and giving away the ball four times.
In the Dec. 29 win, Dinwiddie’s shooting struggles continued, but he was much-improved on the other side of the floor with two steals and a block. His impact could be seen in Dragic, who only shot 25 percent in the game.
Dinwiddie has acknowledged being in a slump lately. The Nets could certainly use a bounce back game from him on Friday.
How Much Will Russell Play?
It’s the question everyone will be asking heading into Friday’s game.
Russell arrived in Brooklyn with plenty of fanfare – he was the team’s leading vote getter in #NBAVote despite missing 33 games. Now that he’s back, it’s time to be realistic –- initially he’s not going to play the nearly 28 minutes he was averaging before his injury. Atkinson alluded to it in Tuesday’s practice.
“When he comes back, expect a buildup in minutes,” he said. “Is it better he starts or is it better he comes off the bench? We still have to have that decision.”
Russell and the Nets’ performance staff have spent months working to get him to this point. There’s no need to push anything in the guard’s first game back.
