The Nets and Lakers trade sending D’Angelo Russell to Brooklyn has, to this point, worked out well for both teams. Russell has shined for the Nets, averaging 20.9 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game to start his tenure in Brooklyn, while the Lakers are getting excellent play from rookie Kyle Kuzma, taken with the No. 27 overall selection sent to them by Brooklyn.
On Saturday, Russell scored 26 points in an eight-point Nets loss to the Jazz, but of primary concern for Brooklyn is the health of their young star point guard. Russell went down with a left knee injury late in the game, and on Sunday, the team officially announced he had a “left knee contusion.”
D’Angelo Russell has been diagnosed with a left knee contusion. Return to play updates will be provided as appropriate.
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 12, 2017
That release came after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported he will miss “several games” at least, with further evaluation needed.
Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell is likely to miss several games with a left knee injury, league sources tell ESPN. He will undergo further evaluation. He was hurt in loss to Jazz on Saturday night.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 12, 2017
It’s a tough blow to the Nets, which have been a pleasant surprise this season. At 5-8, Brooklyn isn’t confusing anyone for a great team, but they’ve been competitive and shown a number of positive signs of growth and development from last year.
With Jeremy Lin already out for the season with a knee injury, losing Russell thins out the Nets’ point guard depth even more. Backup point guard Spencer Dinwiddie missed the Nets game against the Jazz due to a hamstring injury, so while he figures to step into the starting role in Russell’s stead once he returns, until then it will be an interesting rotation to watch with Isaiah Whitehead getting more minutes and other non-point guards taking over ball-handling duties. The Nets would be wise to be cautious with Russell’s health and think long-term with his status, but we’ll know more once an official release is provided after his upcoming MRI.
