Brooklyn Nets continue January struggles as D’Angelo Russell eyes return
The Brooklyn Nets have dropped six of their last seven contests following Wednesday’s 100-95 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. With a tough two-week stretch looming, Brooklyn desperately awaits the return of star point guard D’Angelo Russell.
January continues to be an unkind month for the Brooklyn Nets.
Since the calendar change, the Nets are 3-6 with an average loss margin of 10.5 points per game. Brooklyn’s recent stretch has dropped its overall record to 16-29.
Last season, the Nets were an abysmal 1-15 in January. The year before that, the team was 3-13.
Brooklyn has remained somewhat competitive in the Eastern Conference without its starting point guard D’Angelo Russell, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee earlier in the season.
Russell is officially listed as probable for Friday’s tilt against the Miami Heat at Barclays Center.
Should he suit up, it would be Russell’s first NBA game action since he sustained the injury on Nov 11 against the Utah Jazz.
Of course, Russell will almost certainly play on a minutes restriction, but his return to the lineup could not come at a better time.
Brooklyn is struggling to find consistent production from the point guard position during its recent three-game skid.
Spencer Dinwiddie has cooled off from his hot start to the season, shooting just 36.1 percent from the field and 25.9 percent from beyond the arch in January.
Spencer Dinwiddie is 9-of-43 in the last 3 games, 2-of-19 from 3-point with only 2 turnovers. He's played in all but one game this season.
— Anthony Puccio (@APOOCH) January 18, 2018
Wonder if fatigue is setting in. #Nets
Brooklyn’s lack of a go-to scorer has contributed to the team’s inefficiency to close out games or keep games close down the stretch.
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According to NBA.com’s clutch statistics, the Nets have a 37.7 field goal percentage in crunch time, the seventh worst in the league.
The next two weeks provide a huge testament for head coach Kenny Atkinson and his squad.
Before January concludes, Brooklyn will face some of the NBA’s elite on the road.
Those teams include the Oklahoma City Thunder, Milwaukee Bucks, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Brooklyn Nets currently sit seven games in back of the Philadelphia 76ers for the eighth seed in the East.
Next: Knicks can be competitive if Hornacek can be competent
With the All-Star break around the corner, Brooklyn is hoping to close out the first half of its season strong and the return of D’Angelo Russell should certainly help.