D'Angelo Russell Leads Balanced Nets Past Trae Young, John Collins, Hawks

The Brooklyn Nets defeated Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks 116-100 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday night.

D'Angelo Russell led the way for the Nets with 23 points, and Joe Harris contributed 16 points and eight rebounds to the victory. Seven Brooklyn players reached double-figures in the game.

Young had 17 points and seven assists in a losing effort, with John Collins adding 30 points and 14 rebounds.

Trae Young-John Collins Tandem Provides Hope for Hawks' Rebuild

The Hawks may be 17 games under .500 at the midway point in the season, but there is reason to be optimistic about the future in Atlanta.

Two reasons, in fact: Young and Collins.

On this night, that duo wasn't enough to beat the Nets—but it's hard not to be impressed by their performances.

The fifth overall pick in last year's draft, Young has had no shortage of buzz around him since he entered the league. Although he has shot only 39.4 percent from the floor entering Wednesday's action, he is still putting up a respectable 15.5 points and 7.3 assists per game this season as a rookie.

Meanwhile, Collins—the No. 19 overall pick in 2017—has emerged as a promising building block in his second year as a pro. The 6'10", 235-pound forward entered Wednesday averaging 18.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game this season.

Atlanta struggled out of the gate to the tune of a 3-12 start as Collins was sidelined by an ankle injury. And while the Hawks' 9-17 record since his season debut won't get a fanbase too hyped, the team has been playing better with both Young and Collins in the lineup together—especially lately.

The Hawks are 6-6 over their last 12 games. During that span, Young (15.8 points and 7.3 assists) and Collins (19.3 points and 12.3 rebounds) have shown what they can do while helping the team be competitive.

Of note, Collins has 17 double-doubles in his last 21 appearances.

That's not to say either Young or Collins is a finished product. Both have room to improve, with Young's shooting struggles a big storyline in his career. The 6'2", 180-pound guard has, however, shown improved range recently, as he is shooting 47.4 percent from beyond the arc in his last nine games.

Atlanta still has time to shake off its slow start and make some noise in the second half of the season. While they have some work to do in order to avoid missing the playoffs for a second consecutive season (7.5 games back of the eighth spot in the East), having the duo of Young and Collins gives Hawks fans hope for a successful rebuild.

What's Next?

Both teams will be back in action Friday night. Atlanta (12-29) will wrap up its three-game road trip with a tilt against the Philadelphia 76ers, while Brooklyn (21-22) will hit the road for a clash with the Toronto Raptors.