{"id":144398,"date":"2025-09-14T23:55:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-14T23:55:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/144398\/"},"modified":"2025-09-14T23:55:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T23:55:09","slug":"long-island-nets-pushing-community-and-soon-flatbush-5-as-they-prepare-for-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/144398\/","title":{"rendered":"Long Island Nets pushing community – and soon Flatbush 5? – as they prepare for season"},"content":{"rendered":"

A week ago, out at Jones Beach on the Island, the Long Island Nets held a big Summer Fest event. The event saw fans from all over the Island get ready for the upcoming season by participating in fun events such as a 5K run, a dance clinic, and a youth basketball clinic. Above all else, there was talk about who among the \u201cFlatbush 5\u201d will likely be spending some time down on farm.<\/p>\n

That, of course, won\u2019t be known until Opening Night on November 7 and G League rosters are notoriously fluid so in the meantime, the Nets affiliate are all about community. It\u2019s a big part of their plan to get to 3,000 patrons a night at Nassau Coliseum in 2025-26. That\u2019d be around a 50% jump.<\/p>\n

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Sean Marks has said that the rookies picked in the 2025 NBA Draft will certainly spend some time on Long Island. Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf each have made their mark in college or international basketball. The Brooklyn Nets scouts saw something in each of them, and made sure to bring them to the team in the 2025 NBA Draft. Now, fans and coaches alike are awaiting their NBA\/NBA G-League debuts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI assume some of these guys will definitely spend some time in Long Island\u201d he said in answer to a NetsDaily question the day after the Draft. \u201cWe\u2019ll have to see how the season sort of plays out and what minutes are there for everybody, but as the same time, as Jordi mentioned, it\u2019s an environment of competitive nature out here. So that\u2019s what we want to see. These guys go compete. There\u2019s no promises given to anybody, let alone the draft picks.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s not saying which players are likely to spend time in Long Island.<\/p>\n

Demin, who was the Nets\u2019 eighth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, was drafted after a very strong freshman year for BYU, where he showed a ton of potential to be an NBA-caliber player. He was also the highest-drafted player in the history of Russia\u2019s basketball legacy. He\u2019s the least likely to make much of an appearance at Nassau.<\/p>\n

Someone who is expected to spend time on the Island is Powell. Powell was the Nets\u2019 third out of five draft picks in the first round, taken at No. 22. Powell comes to Brooklyn with a lot of potential and as one of the toughest perimeter defenders in the draft and arguably the most athletic player as well. Unfortunately for Powell, he didn\u2019t play at all on the Summer League roster due to an injury and there\u2019s some concern about when he might be ready, his left knee tendinopathy still holding him back. No one is saying what his timeline for return might be or whether he start with Long Island.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, whether it\u2019s Demin, Traore, Powell, or Saraf or Wolf, the new \u201cFlatbush 5\u201d is expected to play a large part in the 2025-26 Long Island basketball planning. In addition, Long Island has made a number of moves to improve the product on the floor, including trading for Yuri Collins, the only G Leaguer to average better than 10 assists last season, playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors. And no doubt, if as expected, 6\u201911\u201d Chinese small forward Fanbo Zeng gets signed, he\u2019s likely to draw fans from both the Island and City.<\/p>\n

All that said, community remains the top priority for now. Committing to Long Island is going to the constant, no matter who plays It is not uncommon. Although the excitement of the Flatbush 5 can\u2019t denied, nor can their appearances be predicted.<\/p>\n

At the Summer Fest, that was evident as fans were gearing up with Nets officials and Long Island\u2019s mascot, Dale the Eagle.<\/p>\n

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In attendance was the Vice President of Business Operations for the Long Island Nets and New York Liberty, Morgan Taylor. NetsDaily had a chance to speak with her on the importance of these community events.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur fans and community are at the heart of everything we do at the Long Island Nets. Events like Summer Fest are a great example of our commitment to building community and staying connected,\u201c said Taylor. \u201dFrom youth basketball camps and clinics to other community events, the Long Island Nets have been active across the region, and Summer Fest was the culmination of that energy and engagement. We\u2019re excited to keep that momentum going as we head into the 2025-26 season, tipping off Nov. 7 at Nassau Coliseum.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether you\u2019ve been to a game, had a child in one of our youth clinics, or are simply curious about who we are, community events are a powerful way for our team to connect with people beyond basketball. It\u2019s about creating meaningful moments that bring us together both on and off the court \u2026 it\u2019s about showing up, building relationships, and growing the game of basketball right here on Long Island.\u201d<\/p>\n

Long Island is hoping that the combination of things will bring people to the Coliseum. Getting people to four \u201chome\u201d games at Place Bell in the Montreal suburb of Laval will likely play more on the talent as well as clinics and community events there. Last year, Long Island attracted 40,000 fan for six games in January, February and March, almost 7,000 per game. This year, it will be four games as the Nets try to develop a fan base in French speaking Canada and their partner, Groupe CH, owners of the Montreal Canadiens, hope to impress the NBA. Montreal would like to nab one of those expansion teams.<\/p>\n

The community aspect of the Long Island basketball team is one that has always been there. Whether on Long Island or in what is becoming their second home in Montreal. For Taylor and the rest of the Long Island officials, being able to play a pivotal role in the local community and giving back is just as important, if not more, than the games. The players, including the Flatbush 5, will take care of that part of the bargain.<\/p>\n

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