Brooklyn Nets: 3 things to watch in collision with hot Kings

1. Nets, Kings backcourts young and getting better

Two young left-handed point guards. Older, slightly more experienced sharpshooters at the 2.

If the starting backcourts of the Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings aren’t mirror images of each other, they’re awfully close.

The Nets have been fueled of late by 22-year-old D’Angelo Russell, who leads Brooklyn with 19.0 points and 6.4 assists per game, while also averaging 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 29.5 minutes per game.

Russell has been particularly hot of late, averaging 24.2 points and 6.9 dimes in 31.2 minutes per game over his last 10 games, including matching his career-high with 40 points in Friday night’s come-from-behind win over the Orlando Magic.

He also had seven assists and just one turnover in that game and has shot a sizzling 50.8 percent overall and 42.0 percent on 8.1 attempts per game from 3-point range over his most recent 10-game stretch.

The Kings counter with 21-year-old De’Aaron Fox, who has taken his game to a new level in his second NBA season. Fox is averaging 17.6 points, 7.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 31.6 minutes per game this season, shooting 46.6 percent overall and 36.7 percent from deep.

Those numbers are up from 11.6 points, 4.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 27.8 minutes as a rookie on 41.2 percent and 30.7 percent shooting.

But even though the Kings have won three of their last four games, Fox has struggled a bit of late, shooting just 34.7 percent overall and 3-for-13 from deep over those four games. He’s still handing out 7.8 dimes and grabbing 1.8 steals, however.

As for the shooting guards, you have a pair of 26-year-olds in Joe Harris for Brooklyn and Buddy Hield for Sacramento.

Now in his fifth season — his first as a full-time starter — Harris has been extremely solid, averaging 13.4 points in 29.8 minutes per game while shooting 49.8 percent overall and 47.0 percent from 3-point range, a figure that is third-best in the NBA.

Harris is particularly deadly at home. In 21 games this season at Barclays Center, he’s averaging 15.1 points while shooting 54.3 percent overall and 52.3 percent from deep. No one has shot the deep ball better in their own building than Harris.

Hield, a former lottery pick of the New Orleans Pelicans now in his third NBA season, has made a big leap this year, averaging 20.5 points in 31.4 minutes per game, while shooting 48.2 percent overall and 45.6 percent from long range, fourth in the NBA behind Harris.

The difference is one of volume. Harris averages 9.8 shots and 5.1 3-point attempts per game, while Hield is at 16.1 and 7.4, respectively.

Hield comes in after scoring 35 points against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night, including the game-winner, and is averaging 23.2 points per game over his last 11 games, hitting a ridiculous 53.8 percent from deep. He was 7-for-9 in Detroit Saturday.

This looks like a fun bunch of matchups to watch.