CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After shockingly pulling Rodions Kurucs not only from the lineup but the entire rotation, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson insists he sees the Latvian rookie as a starter in this league.
“I project him as an NBA starter. I just think that’s who he’s going to turn out to be,” Atkinson said before his Nets played Saturday night at Charlotte.
“He’s got a lot of room for improvement, strength obviously No. 1. Keep shooting, working on his shooting. But he’ll be a starter in this league down the road.”
Many would argue Kurucs, the No. 40-overall selection in last June’s draft, has already turned out to be a starter. He’s not only the steal of the second round — the lowest-drafted player in the Rising Stars game — but key to the Nets’ success.
That’s what make Atkinson’s decision to bench him so surprising.
“It’s all right. Everyone’s healthy, everyone’s playing. I’m happy, just waiting for my moment, like back in the situation I was in before,” Kurucs said. “I’m waiting for my moment, and when coach uses me, I’ll be ready. [He said] play your game again, extra effort, 50/50 balls, rebounds, run the court, stuff we need, the sparkle.”
Whether he meant spark and it just got lost in translation from Latvian or Kurucs put the shine on the Nets’ season turnaround, both work.
Before Atkinson sat him in their first game back from the break — Thursday’s loss to Portland — Kurucs hadn’t gotten a DNP-Coach’s Decision since a loss to the Thunder on Dec. 5, when the Nets dropped their eighth straight to fall to 8-18.
He went into the rotation the next game, and had started 29 in a row before missing the final game before the All-Star break with a left elbow sprain. The Nets came into Saturday 24-17 when Kurucs played and 18-11 when he started, but just 6-13 with him out of the lineup and 12-19 when he didn’t play at all.
It made it Atkinson’s call all too curious. It wasn’t a case of rest, but keeping the rotation at a manageable 10 players after Allen Crabbe (knee) returned on Feb. 6 against Denver, Caris LeVert (foot) a game later against Chicago and Jared Dudley (hamstring) Thursday against Portland.
Kenny AtkinsonCorey Sipkin“It’s tough. When you have a good team everybody has to sacrifice for the good of the team. We have a lot of guys who are willing to do that,” LeVert said. “Anybody on any given night could not play, or have a huge night, and we’ll need them down the stretch.”
Having lost six of eight before Saturday, the Nets might need Kurucs’ defense, activity and 7-foot wingspan sooner rather than later.
“We have a lot of new parts moving in, coming back from injury,” Atkinson said. “It’s just tough to play 12 guys, 11 guys. I don’t think the players like it, the staff doesn’t like it. We’ve been best with a 10-man rotation, nine. So it’ll just depend.
“He looks great and had a great workout [Friday]. Rodi’s in the mix to play. Just because he didn’t play [Thursday] doesn’t mean he’s not going to play. He’ll have an opportunity going forward.”
The Nets see Kurucs growing into a stretch four, their biggest need. But at 6-foot-9 and just 210 pounds, bulking up will be a top priority over the summer.
“Strength,” Atkinson said. “Get stronger. That’s important. Keep working on [his left]. He’s right-hand dominant right now, so he needs to go to his left a little more.
“But one thing we know about Rodi: He’s going to work. He’s a top-level worker. He’s looking forward to having the attention and the care this summer with us. And we’ll come over to Latvia, too, I can guarantee you that. This isn’t a one-way street. Maybe I’ll come over personally, I’ve heard such great things.”
