D’Angelo Russell steals and deals a beautiful assist to Allen Crabbe
Midway through the first frame of action in Sunday night’s game between the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks, D’Angelo Russell put his active hands to good use and came up with a steal that sent his squad on the fast break. On the other end of the floor, the flashy ball handler dished a gorgeous no look bounce pass to teammate Allen Crabbe who finished the assist with a layup for two easy points.
Although the score first combo guard has earned a reputation for being a terrible defender in his brief tenure in the NBA, since arriving in Brooklyn, he’s used his swift feet and quick reactions to stay in front of his nightly assignments and force some timely turnovers. Russell’s early season defensive transformation deserves recognition, but it was his overall efficiency and playmaking that helped the Nets down the Hawks 116-104.
Through three games of action, Russell is averaging 21 points, 4.3 rebounds and 7 assists per night. His minutes are down slightly from last year, but across the board his numbers have skyrocketed in the fast paced Brooklyn offense.
In comparison with the Lakers strategy that forced Russell into the role of a primary playmaker, with the freedom to create at will and play both on and off the ball, the Nets game plan is clearly tailored to fit his game much better than Los Angeles’ ever was. With the disheartening loss of Jeremy Lin in their season opener, the door has now been opened wide for Russell to make a real run at an Eastern Conference Allstar berth.
