Brooklyn’s top draft pick, Mikel Brown Jr., is expected to make his NBA debut Wednesday when the Nets host the Charlotte Hornets to open the season.
Brown, selected No. 6 overall and viewed as the centerpiece of the Nets’ rebuilding effort, missed the first three preseason games after rolling his left ankle. He returned for the preseason finale in Miami, playing 18 minutes under a limit and posting 18 points, three assists, three rebounds and two steals.
Nets coach Jordi Fernández has said he would not consider starting a player who is limited to fewer than 24 minutes a game, but he declined to say whether Brown’s restriction will be eased for the opener.
Brown, for his part, said he and his teammates are not focused on the low expectations surrounding a team widely projected to struggle this season.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Brown said of the outside skepticism. “But at the end of the day, man, we focus on ourselves right now, focusing on getting better. Like I said before, every game we have something to prove. So that’s the mentality going into it.”
“I mean every game is something we have to prove. We don’t really look at the outside world when it comes to that stuff. We focus on ourselves and what we have going on within this organization and this team. We know what we’re capable of, so we got to go out every single night to show that.”
Brown’s backcourt mates have been settling into roles during the preseason. Keon Ellis started every exhibition game at off-guard while Egor Dëmin shifted to point guard. Ellis said having a defined role, regardless of starter status, matters more than the title itself.
“Oh, absolutely. Just because it comes down, it helps everything,” Ellis said. “When you’re going in the game, if you’re starting, if you’re coming off the bench — which to me that doesn’t really mean a lot — but the consistency of knowing where you’re going to play, who you’re going in the game with, the rhythm that you guys have, that all matters.”
Brooklyn’s other first-round pick from June, Joshua Jefferson, has been cleared to play in the opener despite missing the entire preseason. Fernández indicated Jefferson’s minutes will be managed carefully given he has not yet played in any preseason action.
“A player that hasn’t played a game yet would be, because once again, if you haven’t played a preseason game and then you put your body out there into a real NBA game, I don’t think it would be fair for him to play crazy amount of stints or minutes,” Fernández said. “So yeah, we always take care of our … I’m not going to tell you if he is or how many minutes are, but we always take care of their bodies.”
Separately, Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., a pending free agent, drew attention this week for interviewing right-wing social media personality SNEAKO on his podcast. SNEAKO has previously been banned from Instagram, TikTok and YouTube over content described as violent, homophobic, misogynist and antisemitic. Porter Jr. did not endorse SNEAKO’s views and criticized him following the interview.
