One big question for every NBA team

How will D’Angelo Russell fit into Kenny Atkinson’s system?

With the flurry of trades involving superstars that have a occurred in the past two weeks, Brooklyn’s acquisition of D’Angelo Russell seems like it happened an eternity ago. The Nets now have a young guy with some serious talent and they’ll use this year to see what he can do on the court.

Russell showed flashes of brilliance with the Lakers among the expected growing pains young point guard experience in the NBA. In Los Angeles, Russell never really got to play the way that suits him best though. He’s a guy that likes to run pick-and-rolls, but the Lakers never really surrounded him with the kind of shooting that could help him run those plays effectively; Los Angeles finished nineteenth in 3-point attempts last year (per Basketball-Reference).

Coach Kenny Atkinson emphasized the 3-point shot last season and the Nets will try to spread the floor as much as possible to complement Russell’s game. The Nets will give him the keys to the offense and he really has a chance to thrive in this system. With his usage set to increase substantially, Russell might be an under the radar Most Improved Player candidate. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves of course. He still has a lot to prove, but on paper Russell seems to fit Brooklyn’s style.