D'Angelo Russell rewarded for turning Nets around by replacing Victor Oladipo on All-Star team

Finally turning around the fortunes of the Brooklyn Nets is beginning to pay off for D’Angelo Russell.

The 22-year-old point guard was named to his first career NBA All-Star game on Friday, replacing Victor Oladipo after the Indiana Pacers star underwent season-ending surgery on his knee.

This year’s trip to Atlanta will be Russell’s first career All-Star appearance.

How D’Angelo Russell became an All-Star

Currently playing in his fourth NBA season, Russell has enjoyed a breakout year that has powered the Nets to the sixth-best record in the Eastern Conference at 28-25 and a solid shot at their first season above .500 since 2014. Russell currently leads the team in points (19.6), assists (6.4) and steals (1.2) per game.

Drafted second overall in the 2015 NBA draft out of Ohio State, Russell was traded to the Nets from the Los Angeles Lakers along with Timofey Mozgov for Brook Lopez and Kyle Kuzma during the 2017 draft, the same day the Lakers drafted another point guard in Lonzo Ball.

Russell’s first season in Brooklyn was interrupted by a knee injury that knocked him out for a few months, but he has come on strong in his second year for the team. His contributions are especially welcome with guards Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie out for a significant amount of time.

This All-Star berth also comes at a good time for Russell personally, as he will be hitting restricted free agency this summer.

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