Brooklyn Nets: Making an All-NBA case for D’Angelo Russell
By Phil Watson
![Brooklyn Nets D'Angelo Russell (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) Brooklyn Nets D'Angelo Russell (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/3a02a1dd1ca4733c8b876e17f6ae16c9355af0a37d5acba2a40c0429824cf11a.jpg)
D’Angelo Russell vs. Kyrie Irving
This is the one that might prevent D’Angelo Russell from becoming the first member of the Brooklyn Nets to earn All-NBA honors.
It’s not that Kyrie Irving hasn’t had a spectacular season — he certainly has — but it hasn’t been as good as was expected and the team has responded to being anointed the preseason favorites in the Eastern Conference by going 44-31 and struggling to get homecourt advantage … for the first round.
But the stat that might be the most damaging to Irving’s All-NBA candidacy is how the Celtics have played with and without him this season.
In the 13 games Irving has missed this season, the Celtics are 11-2 — including a win over Russell and the Nets. In 62 games with Irving this season, Boston is 33-29.
That doesn’t exactly scream value.
Brooklyn is 38-36 when Russell plays and got blown out the one time he didn’t, just for clarity.
Irving does have significant statistical advantages in terms of per-game numbers, but those gaps close when comparing per-36 minutes — Russell moves ahead in assists, most significantly, at 8.3 to 7.7 for Kyrie.
Here are the numbers:
Player | G | MP | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | eFG% | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | PTS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kyrie Irving | 62 | 33.1 | .490 | 6.4 | .398 | .558 | 3.6 | .867 | 5.1 | 7.1 | 1.5 | 23.8 |
D’Angelo Russell | 74 | 30.3 | .433 | 7.8 | .362 | .509 | 2.5 | .781 | 3.7 | 7.0 | 1.2 | 20.9 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/27/2019.
Player | G | MP | PER | TS% | 3PAr | FTr | AST% | USG% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kyrie Irving | 62 | 2052 | 24.7 | .592 | .346 | .197 | 35.7 | 29.5 |
D’Angelo Russell | 74 | 2241 | 19.3 | .530 | .418 | .136 | 41.3 | 31.7 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/27/2019.
Still, Irving has a reputation with the voters and has been named to an All-NBA team in the past, earning a spot in 2014-15 while with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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If Russell doesn’t make the All-NBA cut in 2018-19, it will be likely be Irving that is selected ahead of him.