Brooklyn Nets point guard D’Angelo Russell looks to be taking the next step on his recovery trail.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Monday that the 21-year-old will practice with the team’s G-League affiliate on Long Island.
Russell suffered a knee injury in mid-November that required arthroscopic surgery and has missed the team’s last 24 games.
In 12 games with the Nets after being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers in the deal involving center Brook Lopez, Russell averaged 20.9 points and 5.7 assists per game. While it’s a small sample size, he was on pace to shatter his career bests aggregated over two seasons with the Lakers.
His loss was one of two agonizing injuries experienced by the Nets. Just 25 minutes into his second season with the Nets, Jeremy Lin ruptured the patella tendon in his right knee and was lost for the season.
Before his left knee knock, Russell was expected to carry the load in Brooklyn’s backcourt without Lin. Instead, the Nets have had to rely on Spencer Dinwiddie, who has performed admirably as the team’s starting point guard, averaging 13.0 points and 6.4 assists with a team-leading win shares mark of 3.5.
While there is no official timetable for Russell’s return, getting back on the court and practicing could mean that the Nets’ point guard of the future could be back in the next few weeks.
