Here are five thoughts from the Nets’ 123-94 win over the Kings Monday afternoon in Brooklyn.
1. D’Angelo Russell is forcing the Nets into a difficult decision this summer
24 points per game on 50/44/92 with a TS% of 61. Those are Dlo’s shooting percentage splits for the month of January. The reigning eastern conference player of the week is playing the best basketball of his career and is a big reason the Nets are 17-5 in their last 22 games.
At the beginning of the season, especially during close games, Dlo would often be on the bench. Head coach Kenny Atkinson would opt to go with his veterans, as well as Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert as his primary ball handlers down the stretch. Atkinson didn’t trust Dlo to make the right decisions and it was the right move. But Dlo never wavered, and injuries to LeVert and other players forced Atkinson to play the 22-year-old point guard. He has rewarded his coach’s faith in him with excellent play the last month or so.
Dlo will become a restricted free agent at the end of this season and Nets GM Sean Marks will have a tough decision to make. Heading into this season the Nets were slotted to have enough cap space for two max free agents this coming summer. They have since re-signed Spencer Dinwiddie and the team is looking like they’ll make the playoffs. It will be hard to justify not offering him a deal or matching any other offer. Time will tell.
In the meantime, Atkinson is very proud of his young point guard, referring to his ability to create space on step back threes as “Harden-esque.”
The @BrooklynNets are on a roll. HC Kenny Atkinson on his young PG @Dloading being “Harden-esque” #NBA #NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/gFk2xiRAPO
— Jarod Hector (@jshector) January 22, 2019
In his postgame media availability, Dlo was asked his thoughts on being “Harden-esque” and what it means to have Atkinson believe in him.
More from last night. @Dloading on his coach calling his step backs “Harden-esque” #NBA #NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/tCblwvkJl5
— Jarod Hector (@jshector) January 22, 2019
2. The spirit of this team is a real thing
Noted sports writer Bill Simmons famously wrote about the secret of basketball in his opus “The Book of Basketball.” The secret of basketball, as it turns out, is that it’s not about basketball. Simmons was recanting a story told to him by Hall of Fame Detroit Pistons champion Isiah Thomas, in which Thomas talks about chemistry being an overlooked part of a championship team.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. The Nets aren’t winning the title this season, because talent matters and they don’t have enough top-end talent. But, this team has a togetherness and camaraderie that is palpable. You feel it in the arena. You can see it after someone makes a smart play or hustles for a loose ball. Guys on the bench are up high fiving, supporting each other. It’s all the stuff you love if you’re one of those “unifying power of sports” people. It may sound hokie, but even the toughest cynic knows, being in an environment where people genuinely care about one another and are happy to be there is much better than the alternative.
In his postgame media availability, Atkinson was asked about the spirit of the team.
The @BrooklynNets are 17-5 in their last 22 games. There is something brewing in Brooklyn. Atkinson on the spirit of his team #NBA #NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/PhYVyrhzsx
— Jarod Hector (@jshector) January 22, 2019
3. Ball movement was and has been, excellent
Ask any basketball coach (well, any halfway intelligent coach) about ball movement and they will tell you it is critical to team success. When the ball moves it loosens up the defense and allows for easier shot opportunities. A staple in Atkinson’s offense is ball movement and player movement. Yesterday afternoon against the Kings, the Nets had 25 assists on 45 made field goals. That’s slightly above the median number per team in the league, so not earth-shattering, but it was the way the ball was moving and the extra pass that stood out.
For the season the Nets are in the bottom half of the league in assists per game but climbing. During this latest stretch of good play the Nets have seen an improvement in their ball movement, a lot more “hockey assists” leading to increased shooting percentages.
Until LeVert gets back (possibly mid-March) the team will be without its most dynamic player. If they continue to share the ball and give up good shots for great ones, it could be a happy spring in Brooklyn.
4. Rebounding margin was huge
The Nets outrebounded the Kings 65-43, that’s +22. Brooklyn is just outside the top 10 in defensive rebounds per game and number 6 in offensive rebounds. Ed Davis and Jarrett Allen are the main “culprits” there. Davis finished with 16 and Allen with 12. Needless to say that the ability to keep possessions alive on offense, and close out strong possessions on defense is critical to winning basketball. If Rodions Kurucs can rebound like he shows the potential to, this will be a formidable team down the stretch.
5. The Sacramento Kings are no longer the NBA’s dumpster fire
If you pick in the lottery for 12 consecutive years you’re bound to get it right at least once, right? The Kings have been a laughing stock for years. The NBA’s resident dumpster fire franchise. Owner Vivek Ranadivé has swung and missed on a few things (hello Nik Stauskas) and it’s unclear how good a general manager Vlade Divac is.
However, they absolutely made the right choice in hiring head coach Dave Joerger, and they’ve made some decent acquisitions and hit on a few recent draft picks. Despite getting blown out in Brooklyn on Monday, the Kings are 24-23 and 1.5 games back of the 8 seed. They are a fun league pass watch and play with the second highest pace in the league.
They are one of the most improved teams in the league from last season. With a young star in De’Aaron Fox, talent in Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley III, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Harry Giles, and Justin Jackson this team could be on the come up.