The Brooklyn Nets brought D’Angelo Russell and Jeremy Lin in to start at guard. But after injuries to both, Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert have showcased their abilities and made the Nets’ guards of the future a big question moving forward.
Before the 2017 season, few would have expected any Nets’ guards to surpass Jeremy Lin or D’Angelo Russell. The Nets traded for Russell this off season, taking on Timofey Mozgov’s contract, and giving the Lakers a first-round pick and Brook Lopez. The former number two pick in the NBA draft was clearly a player the Nets placed great value in.
The Nets placed a lot of value in Jeremy Lin as well. Signed to a three year, $36 million deal, Lin was to be a player the Nets’ built around. Lin’s tenure in Brooklyn, though, has been marred by injury. In two years, he’ll have suited up for just 37 games. Speaking with Zach Lowe, Lin has clearly been frustrated by the injuries he’s sustained.
With Lin out, and D’Angelo Russell going down with an injury in November, Spencer Dinwiddie had the opportunity to run the offense, and has exceeded expectations for the season. With Russell returning from injury last month, and Lin exercising his player option for the 2018-2019 season, per ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the Nets suddenly will have a plethora of ball-dominant guards competing for minutes. All three of the aforementioned players will be under contract next season. What are the Nets looking at going forward?