D’Angelo Russell will return from an extended absence for the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday vs. the San Antonio Spurs. The veteran floor general has been sidelined for five games after spraining his ankle during a Feb. 20 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Brooklyn has lost four of its last five games with Killian Hayes starting in place of Russell at point guard. The Nets declined to bring Hayes back after his 10-day contract expired on Sunday.
Russell’s availability has been a barometer of Brooklyn’s success after he joined the team in a Dec. 29 trade from the Los Angeles Lakers.
D’Angelo Russell returning for Nets following extended absence
Since acquiring Russell, the Nets are 8-9 in games he’s played and 1-10 in games he’s missed. While he’s struggled shooting the ball, averaging 13.8 points on 38/32/88 splits, his ball-handling and facilitation (5.8 assists per game) have been a stabilizing presence on a roster severely lacking shot creation.
The Nets are outscoring opponents by 12.8 points per 100 possessions during Russell’s minutes, the team’s best mark among players averaging over 20 minutes per game, per CleaningTheGlass.
Russell’s return could provide the offensive jolt that snaps the Nets out of an extended losing skid. His insertion to the lineup comes just as Cam Thomas has returned from a two-month absence due to a hamstring strain. The starting backcourt duo has played one game together since the trade, a Jan. 2 road win over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Following Saturday’s 115-94 loss to the Detroit Pistons, the Nets are 2.5 games back of the Chicago Bulls for the Eastern Conference’s final play-in spot. Conversely, they sit a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers for sixth place and 2.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors for fifth place in the draft lottery standings.
Meanwhile, the Spurs have lost five of their last seven games after losing Victor Wembanyama for the season. Stephon Castle (left thumb sprain) is questionable against the Nets, while Charles Bassey (left knee) has been ruled out.
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