Nets’ D’Angelo Russell undergoes knee surgery; no timetable set for return
The Brooklyn Nets made a blockbuster trade this past summer to address their long-term future. The made a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers by sending one-time All-Star Brook Lopez, and a first-round draft pick to the City of Angels in exchange for D’Angelo Russell.
Although Russell has played well in the early going of the 2017-18 NBA season with his new team, the former second overall pick continues to deal with knee issues. According to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders, Russell has undergone knee surgery and currently has no timetable for his return to the floor.
Nets say D'Angelo Russell had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee today. GM Sean Marks said, “It’s an arthroscopic surgery, so the plan would be for him to return this season.†Marks said there's "probably a pretty good chance" Brooklyn applies for a disabled player exception.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) November 17, 2017
In the 12 games played before his knee surgery, Russell averaged 20.9 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 46.3 percent from the floor and 29.5 percent from three-point range.
Russell’s stint with the Lakers was mediocre at best with the former Ohio State star finding it challenging to find a balance between scoring and passing as the team’s floor general. In Brooklyn, he’s seemed to find that balance very early on and fits the system much better than he did in Los Angeles.
Unfortunately, knee issues may become a persistent problem with the talented young guard as he has dealt with them on multiple occasions in the first three years of his NBA career.
As for the Nets, they have to figure out a way to fill the void without arguably their best player who could miss the majority of the season if not the rest of the 2017-18 campaign following surgery.
