Much has gone into molding D’Angelo Russell into an All-Star, from the Nets acquiring him from the Lakers to the 22-year-old learning how to be a professional. But it also took Kenny Atkinson figuring out how to coach Russell.
“It’s just a natural evolution of a new player, a young player, and it just takes time to trust with every player,” Atkinson said. “I remember Jeff Teague in Atlanta, and the first five months, I didn’t know if I was going to connect with him. It was just very hard. … Then eventually you break through. D’Angelo, the same thing.