Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson is confident in D’Angelo Russell and Jeremy Lin’s ability to play together in smaller two-point-guard lineups this season. Atkinson told Brian Lewis of the New York Post that he sees Russell and Lin as a good combination that fits with how he wants to play.
“They’re two good guys that’re good players. I really believe we can make it work,’’ Atkinson said. “They’re both going to play. There’s 48 minutes out there.”
“They’ve both played [shooting guard], and they both can guard the position, so it fits what we’re doing. People say it’s a pick-and-roll league, so to have another guy you can rely on to play pick-and-roll and figure out where you can find that advantage with two guys that are excellent at it, it gives us a big advantage.”
Russell and Lin are the Nets’ two best players on the roster so it makes sense for Atkinson to try and get one or both of them on the court at all times. Both guards are decent spot-up shooters, and have had experience playing off-ball at times. Russell, for one, was optimistic about his ability to play with Linsanity earlier this summer.
The downside of that combination, though, will be on the defensive end. Neither of them is a great defender, especially compared to young shooting guard Caris LeVert, whose playing time could be affected if Russell and Lin play together for long stretches.
However, the Nets could still be able to make up for their deficiencies on that end by maximizing their offensive potential, which means playing D'Angelo Russell and Jeremy Lin as often as possible.
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