NEW YORK _ D'Angelo Russell still has one gripe with former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson: fourth-quarter playing time.
Russell has credited Atkinson for playing a major role in his development into a star-caliber guard in the NBA _ he even did so in a pit stop in Brooklyn shortly before his trade to the Timberwolves _ but hedged on giving him all the credit.
"I'm not going to give it to Kenny," Russell said in an interview with The Athletic. "I still don't think he knew what he had, honestly. I don't think he knew what I was capable of in the fourth quarter."
Before he was traded to the Golden State Warriors for Kevin Durant (and subsequently dealt to Minnesota for Andrew Wiggins), Russell became a first-time All-Star with the Nets, averaging 21 points and seven assists per game last season.
As dynamic an offensive talent as Russell was, though, Atkinson would often play Spencer Dinwiddie longer stretches in crunch time with his All-Star point guard on the bench at the end of select games.
The pairing of Russell and Dinwiddie wasn't as fruitful as Atkinson and general manager Sean Marks had hoped.
Yes, the Nets made the playoffs _ ending a three-year postseason drought _ but lineups with both Dinwiddie and Russell on the floor were outscored nearly four points per 100 possessions.
The Nets are an analytics-based franchise under Marks and will continue to be one when they hire a new head coach. Those numbers led Atkinson to leave Russell on the bench at times in favor of Dinwiddie, the more active defender.
Atkinson also had a ride-the-hot-hand philosophy _ an outlook that burned opposing teams nearly as often as it burned himself.
Russell's tenure in Brooklyn was an interesting one. He never truly blossomed until he had the court for himself.
Caris LeVert was shaping into Brooklyn's star, averaging a team-high 19 points per game to Russell's 15 before his breakout season was derailed by a dislocated ankle. Even after LeVert's injury, Dinwiddie took the reins as the lead scorer on the Nets. He increased his scoring output to 20 points per game in the month of January last season before tearing ligaments in his thumb.
Russell took over shortly after (much like Dinwiddie took over this season after both LeVert and Kyrie Irving went down with injuries this season). In January, he averaged 24 points per game. In February, he averaged 26, and became the All-Star Game injury replacement for Victor Oladipo.
That scoring rate became less sustainable once LeVert and Dinwiddie returned from their respective injuries. And by the time the playoffs rolled around, Russell's production tapered, averaging just under 20 points per game against the Sixers, but shooting below 35% from the field and 32% from three.
Russell has had his moments in Minnesota. Against the Miami Heat _ whose star in Jimmy Butler serves as Public Enemy No. 1 in Minneapolis _ Russell hit the go-ahead 3-pointer, then recorded the game-sealing block on Butler at the buzzer.
Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns have the potential to evolve into as good a duo as there is in the NBA, and if they can lure Devin Booker from Phoenix, that trio could be a legitimate championship contender down the road.
As for his comments on Atkinson, there's still a little bit of proving to be done. When Russell starts coming up big and leads his T-wolves to the playoffs, he can talk all the talk he wants.
