The sample size on a new starting lineup for the Brooklyn Nets is small, but it’s growing — and trending upward.
After Kyrie Irving sprained his right knee in Washington on Feb. 1, the Nets moved Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert into the starting lineup together, alongside Joe Harris, Taurean Prince and Jarrett Allen. Prince has started all 53 Brooklyn games this season, Harris has started all 52 he’s played, and Allen has played all 53, starting 49. Dinwiddie is the third Net to have played all 53 games this season.
Beginning on Feb. 3, the Nets won four of their final five games before the break, the only loss by a 119-118 score to Toronto in the midst of the Raptors’ 15-game winning streak. Four days later, the Nets snapped that streak with a 101-91 win over the Eastern Conference’s second-place team.
The grouping of Dinwiddie, LeVert, Harris, Prince and Allen is plus-57 over 111 minutes in 14 games this season, but 78 of those minutes have come just over the last five games in which this unit has been starting together. They’re plus-44 in that stretch. Over the total 111 minutes, the lineup has an offensive rating of 118.1, ninth among all NBA lineups with at least 100 minutes, and a 95.7 defensive rating, sixth among lineups with at least 100 minutes.
Leading the offensive production has been the backcourt pairing of LeVert and Dinwiddie. Over the last five games before the break, LeVert averaged 24.0 points, 5.2 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 48.4 percent overall and 50.0 percent from 3-point range. Dinwiddie averaged 16.2 points, 7.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds.
"They had to do the same thing last year,” said DeAndre Jordan. “They took over games when guys were out. We've asked both of those guys to play different roles for us this year — come off the bench, start, play-make, score, be more aggressive — and they've responded, both of them, really well. It's cool to see those guys out there being successful."
“You’re either going to have to put your best defender for pick-and-roll on Spencer or Caris,” said Jarrett Allen, “so I think that’s what makes us dangerous.”
Dinwiddie and LeVert have played together for 389 minutes over 28 games — LeVert missed 24 straight games following thumb surgery between Nov. 10 and Jan. 4 — with the Nets plus-60 in those minutes, with a 112.6 offensive rating and 103.6 defensive rating.
At the time Irving suffered his knee sprain, Garrett Temple had been in the starting lineup with both Dinwiddie and LeVert coming off the bench, but head coach Kenny Atkinson opted to keep the pair together in filling out the starting lineup. The two made their Nets debuts one game apart in December 2016.
“We’ve played together now for the third or fourth year,” said LeVert. “I feel like we know each other’s games in and out. We’re tough matchups for other teams with our size, passing and shooting abilities, so I think it just works for us.”
KYRIE IRVING OUT THURSDAY
The shoulder injury that sidelined Kyrie Irving for two months and 26 games is continuing to trouble the Nets guard, and Kenny Atkinson said on Tuesday that Irving did not take part in that day’s practice and would not be available for Thursday’s game against Philadelphia.
“He’s still having issues with his shoulder,” said Atkinson. “He is going to see a specialist this week. That’s about all I can tell you. I don’t expect him to be available for Thursday. His shoulder continues to bother him. That’s kind of the extent of it for now and as soon as we get more information on his visit to the specialist we’ll let you guys know.”
Irving took a cortisone shot just before Christmas and returned to action on Jan. 4. He averaged 26.0 points in nine games since then, but had missed Brooklyn’s last five games before the All-Star break after suffering a knee sprain on Feb. 1.
ABOUT THE SIXERS
This is the fourth and final meeting of the season between the Nets and Sixers. Brooklyn won the initial meeting at Barclays Center on Dec. 15, 109-89, while Philadelphia won at home on Jan. 15, 117-106 and then in Brooklyn five days later, 117-111. The Sixers are 34-21 and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. They are 25-2 at home this season.
“We know how difficult it is to win in Philly,” said Kenny Atkinson. “That record. When I look at it, that’s incredible. So that makes it even tougher going there. We know how good they are. They’re an excellent defensive team. Tons of talent. Now with (Joel) Embiid healthy, they’re a matchup nightmare. You’ve got Embiid, you’ve got Al (Horford). You got (Ben) Simmons. You’ve got 3 guys bigger than 6-10 and you have to figure out how to match up with them. That’s our dilemma.”
Embiid has missed all three games against the Nets this season, but returned from surgery on a torn ligament in his left hand in Philadelphia’s last eight games over the final two weeks before the All-Star break. He leads the Sixers with 22.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, plus 3.2 assists.
With Embiid out, Simmons has averaged 24.7 points, 8.7 assists and 7.7 rebounds in three games against Brooklyn, shooting 75.7 percent from the field. For the season, Simmons is averaging 16.9 points per game, and he’s fifth in the NBA with 8.3 assists per game and first with 2.2 steals per game.
Since the last meeting, the Sixers have added Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III in a trade from Golden State.
“We were on the second half of a back-to-back I think when we lost pretty bad,” said Spencer Dinwiddie of this season’s series between the two teams. “I think they were on the second night of a back-to-back when they lost pretty bad, right, so I think historically when we play Philly it’s fairly close. Obviously they’re extremely talented. This time they’ll have Embiid back, which changes their dynamic. One of the best centers in the league if not the best center in the league. I think it’s gonna be a fun one.”