The Nets have not had an All-Star in four years, and it has been far longer since they had a young franchise player to build around. They’re convinced D’Angelo Russell can be that, but only if he buys in and gets more consistent.
“Nobody in this arena will question his talent. You just want him to do it consistently,” said DeMarre Carroll, 31, who has been tasked with taking Russell under his wing. “D’Angelo’s probably the closest thing we have to an All-Star on our team if he did it consistently. Me, being his big brother, being a leader, I just challenge him to come in and hit it hard every day.