The Nets have two days between games, and that could be that last few days needed to get Allen Crabbe ready to go.
“I expect after Christmas he should be ready," said Nets coach Kenny Atkinson. "He’s coming along.”
Crabbe has missed Brooklyn's last six games with knee soreness. At the time he was sidelined, Crabbe had started the Nets' previous 15 games over a month since Caris LeVert's injury. In those 15 games, Crabbe shot 46.5 percent from 3-point range.
In Crabbe's absence, Rodions Kurucs has played well enough to give Atkinson a decision to make about his starting lineup.
“That’s a pleasant problem to have," said the Nets coach before Sunday's win over Phoenix. "We’ll see where Allen (is). Allen is getting closer. So I don’t have to make that decision yet. One thing Rodi gives us, he gives us a legitimate 6-9 guy. Nothing against Allen, but him and Joe (Harris) are more in the two-guard mold, and we’ve been starting them, and that’s fine, too. But Rodi does give us more defensive versatility, and a different type of player than Joe. He’s not just a catch-and-shoot guy. He’s a slasher. He’s a runner. So we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. It’s a nice problem to have.”
Kurucs scored a career-high 24 points against Indiana last Friday, and followed up with his first career double-double in the win against the Suns, collecting 16 points and 10 rebounds. He's averaged 12.1 points while shooting 51 percent and 41.2 percent from 3-point range with 5.0 rebounds in 27.6 minutes per game. Against the Pacers, Kurucs played 34 minutes. Against the Suns, 33.
Kurucs made an early impression with the Nets shorthanded in the frontcourt, but didn't secure a more regular spot in the rotation until early in December. Shortly after, he was in the staring lineup in the wake of the Crabbe injury. The 20-year-old, who played sparingly for FC Barcelona last season, has impressed Atkinson with his readiness for the NBA.
“Just a lack of breakdowns," said Atkinson. "Whether not understanding the offense or messing up a play or not knowing the coverage, he’s been spot on. And for a young guy like that, a 20-year-old guy like that, especially coming from a different league, coming from Europe, the fact that he’s so on point with what we’re doing, that builds trust.
“Then on top of that, his talent is really -- normally I don’t say that; I say, ‘Let’s talk about this;’ his pick-and-roll defense’ -- but his talent, his athletic talent, his instinctual talent, and then there’s how darn hard he plays, those are things that really stand out. He’s had very few lows. He’s been pretty consistent.”
Atkinson also turned to Kurucs to guard Phoenix's high-scoring Devin Booker, and was impressed there as well.
"We put Rodions on Booker," said Atkinson. "You think this guy was playing on Barcelona last year in Europe, 20 years old. I'm really excited about his defensive potential. He did some good things out there, his length and athleticism and, quite honestly, how hard he plays defensively. That can help our defense. That can boost our defense going forward."
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Charlotte dropped to 16-16 with Sunday night's 119-103 loss to the Celtics. The Hornets are ninth in the NBA in offensive rating (110.9) and commit the second fewest turnovers in the league. Guard Kemba Walker has the highest scoring game in the NBA this season, a 60-point outing against Philadelphia on Nov. 17, and leads Charlotte with 24.8 points and 6.2 assists per game.