BROOKLYN NETS

Grade: C+

The Nets didn’t arrive to Indiana until around 3 a.m.Saturday morning. They were once again without forwards Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, DeMarre Carroll, and Treveon Graham, and lost emerging rookie Rodions Kurucs during the game. Despite all that went against them, the Nets competed with Indiana for 36 minutes. The fourth quarter was a different story. Pacers’ Kyle O’Quinn exploded for 14 of his 16 points in the fourth, helping the Pacers pull away from the Nets. Turnovers once again plagued Brooklyn as they gave the ball away twenty times compared to Indiana’s two.

D’ANGELO RUSSELL (12 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds – 5/16 in 31 minutes)

Grade: C+

Despite putting together his best first half of the season (10 points), D’Angelo Russell once again failed to put up a stat line representative of his talent. Russell disappeared in the second half, only contributing two points over the final two quarters. The Nets need more from D’Angelo Russell.

CARIS LEVERT (19 points, 3 assists, 4 rebounds – 8/9 in 28 minutes)

Grade: A-

Caris LeVert shot the ball at 89 percent against Indiana; I REPEAT 89 percent! LeVert again had an outstanding performance, but he needed to be more assertive. Nine shots are not enough for a player who has established himself as Brooklyn’s go-to guy.

SPENCER DINWIDDIE (13 points, 4 assists, 1 rebounds – 4/11 in 26 minutes)

Grade: C+

Although he didn’t shoot as efficiently as the Nets would have hoped, it was a relatively average performance from Spencer Dinwiddie. Together, Russell and Dinwiddie shot 9/27 (33 percent) from the field. That’s just not going to cut it, on the road, against a good team.

JARRETT ALLEN (8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block – 4/7 in 22 minutes)

Grade: C

This was easily Jarrett Allen’s worst outing of the season. Indiana did a good job limiting his effectiveness early and Allen struggled with fellow former Longhorn, Myles Turner. Turner outplayed Allen to the tune of 14 points and 8 rebounds, much of which came in the opening quarter. Allen is a player that relies on the effectiveness of his guards and the defensive scheme of the opposing team. You could tell it was a point of emphasis for Indiana to limit Allen’s rolls to the rim and they did well in accomplishing that.

JOE HARRIS (19 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds – 6/11 in 32 minutes)

Grade: A

Joe Harris was on fire from behind the arc, connecting on 5/6 threes on the night. Harris was one of the few bright spots for Brooklyn on a night that the Nets just couldn’t get over the hump. With Allen Crabbe still working his way back, Harris regaining his shooting stroke is a major key as it’s imperative for the Nets to have a sharpshooter to create space for the rest of the offense.

RODIONS KURUCS (12 points, 6 rebounds – 5/9 in 15 minutes)

Grade: B+

Rodions Kurucs is a player. Kurucs once again provided the energy the Nets needed off the bench. He’s slowly beginning to show more and more in his game; shooting off the dribble, taking it coast-to-coast, and hitting floaters from the free-throw line! Kurucs is a keeper and demonstrating that he might be the second best option at the 4, behind Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Regarding Kurucs’ injury during the game, Kenny Atkinson called it a “little sprain” and Kurucs himself said, “I’m fine. I sprain it all the time.”

ALLEN CRABBE (10 points, 3 rebounds – 2/6 in 25 minutes)

Grade: B

Allen Crabbe took a positive step in returning from his ankle injury, knocking down two threes on the evening. Crabbe’s second year jump is a key to the Nets taking a leap this season. As his minutes continue to build up, look for him to be the player the Nets expect him to be.