Brooklyn Nets: Player grades from thorough victory at Chicago

There was a time not all that long ago that if Joe Harris went 0-for-4 from 3-point range, it just meant he had no impact on the game.

Those days are history.

Harris didn’t have his shot falling on Sunday, but he did other things. His passing has hit a new level and his chemistry with Jarrett Allen is building rapidly. Harris had another couple of very nice dimes to set up Allen dunks on Sunday.

He’s also a dogged defender who works hard at that end.

If you want evidence of Harris’ evolution as a player this season, it’s that he graded out positively on a day in which he made one shot.

Speaking of defenders with insanely high ceilings, what about rookie Rodions Kurucs?

In his 24th NBA game and 12th NBA start, Kurucs started the game matched up with the Chicago Bulls’ leading scorer in Zach LaVine, an athletic specimen with a pair of Slam Dunk Contest titles under his belt.

While guarding LaVine in the first quarter, Kurucs limited him to two shots — both misses — and spent much of the day wreaking havoc in passing lanes, with five deflections that I recall.

He’s 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and the quickness to cover guards. If that sounds a lot like former Net (and former Defensive Player of the Year) Andrei Kirilenko, it’s an apt comparison.

Kurucs is still so raw and inexperienced, but his instincts continue to be off the charts. If he’s this good as a defender now, imagine when he understands the NBA game more thoroughly.

Offensively, he does some good things and makes some mistakes.

Kurucs also managed to get a rare stat — he had a steal stolen.

Kurucs tipped a ball away from Bulls point guard Kris Dunn, led the fast break and fed D’Angelo Russell for an open layup because the shot clock operator didn’t reset it properly and it buzzed a second or two after Kurucs clearly had possession.

Tough break, but he’s on target to have many more chances to add to that particular stat column.