New jerseys, new court, new Nets. Right?
It’s a new era in Brooklyn, an uncertain one, but one in which the Nets aren’t trying to lose games to improve their draft position. That was the reality over the past two seasons.
Now, the Nets are building around Egor Dëmin and Mikel Brown Jr. — their two lottery picks from the 2025 and 2026 Drafts, respectively. Three-time All-Star Julius Randle is a new face to watch. Other new faces such as Keon Ellis and Mo Wagner offer intrigue.
The Nets will need to be solid defensively in order to create in the open floor, which will be an advantage for a team with an average age of 24.3 years.
On the other side, the Charlotte Hornets are coming off a dramatic offseason. LaMelo Ball and Josh Green were traded in exchange for Naz Reid, a 2033 first-round pick, three second-round picks and three future first-round pick swaps. Subsequently, the Timberwolves sent Randle and the draft rights to Joshua Jefferson to the Nets in exchange for the draft rights to guard Isaiah Evans, as part of a four-team trade involving Brooklyn and Chicago.
The Hornets won’t have Kon Knueppel, Coby White, or Grant Williams in this one.
Game Info & Broadcast Details
Injury Report: Who’s Out?
“Mikel Brown Jr. will not be in the starting lineup… the Nets performance team is being cautious. MBJ will play with a minutes restriction and off the bench. His first official minutes as an NBA player will begin when he’s introduced not as a starter but from the bench. Think 24 minutes. That should still be enough to get his feet wet against NBA level competition…”
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