Brooklyn Nets: Player grades from Christmas Eve eve win over Suns
By Phil Watson
33 MIN, 16 PTS, 7-for-15 (0-for-1), 2-for-2 FT, 10 REB (3 ORB), 2 AST, 2 PF, 2 TO, 1 BLK, -2. SF. Brooklyn Nets. RODIONS KURUCS. B+
Rodions Kurucs continues to do a little of everything for the Brooklyn Nets.
Guard the other team’s best scorer in crunch time? He can do that, checking Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns down the stretch.
Get on the glass? He can do that, grabbing a career-high 10 rebounds while posting his first career double-double.
Erase a shot? Ask Booker about that one.
Knock down a jumper? While he still needs to learn to know where he is in space to avoid those toe-on-the-arc long 2s, Kurucs can deliver with a nice, quick stroke from the outside.
Take it to the rack? Go ahead, Booker, over-commit to the perimeter, then watch Latvian Lightning strike in a dash to the rim for a forceful flush.
Need an outlet on the baseline for an easy hoop? Kurucs already has a veteran’s understanding of where and when to move without the ball and ball-handlers keep finding him for easy throwdowns on the baseline.
In six games as a starter, Kurucs may have just earned the gig for the longer term, even with Allen Crabbe expected back from his sore knee after Christmas.
Brooklyn Nets. JOE HARRIS. A-. 32 MIN, 13 PTS, 4-for-8 (3-for-7), 2-for-2 FT, 3 REB, 2 AST, 1 PF, 1 TO, +12. SG/SF
Joe Harris is sizzling again, hitting at least three 3-pointers Sunday for the sixth straight game to set a new franchise record.
He’s one of the best catch-and-shoot 3-point shooters in the NBA at 48.9 percent this season and at 47 percent overall on the season, he’s fourth in the NBA.
And because Harris is so adept at driving with the ball, he’s becoming a defensive nightmare. Close out to aggressively and he blows by. Give him a little space on the arc and he shoots it over your head.
He’s also become much better at facilitating off the drive of late, averaging 3.1 assists per game in 10 December games, boosting his season average to 2.5 dimes a night.