Beyond falling short in the season opener on Wednesday night against the Indiana Pacers, the Brooklyn Nets showed much reason for optimism.
This stemmed from the play of their young core, led by offseason addition D'Angelo Russell and second-year guard Caris LeVert, helping the Nets garner 131 points throughout regulation. According to Greg Logan of Newsday, LeVert voiced on Thursday afternoon that he believes growth with Russell, now leading the charge, is crucial to the team's success.
https://twitter.com/GregLogan1/status/921101435294666754
Russell displayed some of his promising potential against the Pacers as he notched a game-high 30 points, which tied him with Hall of Famer Nate Archibald for the most in a debut in franchise history. His offensive load should increase with veteran guard Jeremy Lin expected to miss the entire season due to a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee.
It will be more incumbent upon Russell along with Caris and a few other players like Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Allen Crabbe to help pick up the slack. If there is any hope of them possibly contending for a playoff spot, this will be dependent on their young core to produce.
More than anything else, this should provide them an opportunity to continue to develop while building valuable chemistry on the court together.
Follow Us
Subscribe