Nelson told NetsDaily\u2019s Scott Mitchel<\/a>l. \u201cI like the plan they had. There\u2019s a lot that goes into it. My agent knows a lot more than me, so I just really trusted his plan, and I feel like this is a great spot to be. I like my teammates, coaches, and the system.\u201d<\/p>\nDuring his final season at Alabama, the 7-footer averaged 11.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while helping lead the Crimson Tide to the Elite Eight. He also impressed during his time at North Dakota State, where he earned First team All-Summit league honors after averaging 17.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while shooting 52.1% from the field as a junior.<\/p>\n
He joined the Nets during the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging\u00a0 six points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 57.9% from the field. Through two games on Long Island, he\u2019s averaging 8.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks including three last night in 18.5 minutes.<\/p>\n
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This team needs hustlers, players focused on making an impact, not filling up a box score. Brooklyn currently owns the lowest defensive rating in the NBA, and could use a high-energy, selfless player cut from Nelson\u2019s cloth.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s just part of my game. I value all of those things. It\u2019s what I picked up from every coach that I\u2019ve played for. I think it\u2019s all those little things that will ultimately win the game,\u201d Nelson told NetsDaily. \u201cScreening, getting rebounds, playing defense, those are all small things that you can\u2019t see unless you watch the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yuri Collins![\"UNIONDALE,NY](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/334c8e3d85a9fba86b923a9a270e0074.jpeg\"\/)
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UNIONDALE,NY OCTOBER 30: Yuri Collins #99 of the Long Island Nets poses for a portrait during G League media day on October 30, 2025 in Uniondale,NY. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and\/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Luther Schlaifer\/NBAE via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Beyond their defensive issues, Brooklyn\u2019s lack of a true distributor remains one of the team\u2019s most glaring weaknesses.<\/p>\n
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A season ago, Collins orchestrated one of the best playmaking campaigns that the G League has ever seen. While playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State\u2019s affiliate, he dished out a league-leading 10.8 assists per game, the highest mark in the G League since 2009\u201310.<\/p>\n
He also added 14.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, shooting 41.2% from the field and 26.4% from three, proving he could both create and contribute offensively.<\/p>\n
Collins\u2019 assist numbers from last season weren\u2019t just a fluke or the byproduct of a friendly system. He led the NCAA in assists twice (2021 and 2022) during his time at Saint Louis University. And while running point for the Phoenix Suns\u2019 Las Vegas Summer League team this summer, he finished among the event\u2019s top ten passers while averaging six assists per game.<\/p>\n
According to Rob Ford, Collins\u2019 head coach at Saint Louis, the point guard\u2019s unique feel for the game often puts him in advantageous positions to produce.<\/p>\n
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\u201cEverybody wants to score. And if he wanted to, Yuri could average 20 points per game. He can get to his spots so easy and he can score the ball,\u201d Ford said. \u201cWhat I love about him is he gets a feel for the game as the game is going on, which games he needs to score, which games he needs to run the offense and set everybody up. And it\u2019s usually all based on how teams are playing him.\u201d<\/p>\n
At 6 feet and 190 pounds, his size could make him a defensive concern. That said, it\u2019s not like the Nets\u2019 current options have been very helpful on that end either. Last season, Collins led the Warriors with 1.4 steals per game (minimum 20 appearances), using his lateral quickness and sturdy lower body to stay in front of ball-handlers and make life difficult for opposing guards.<\/p>\n
Outside OptionsTyler Smith![\"Oct](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/41877b60929819303c37cd3c2e17e0f7.jpeg\"\/)
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Oct 6, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Tyler Smith (21) shoots the basketball against the Miami Heat during the third quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
Viewed as one of the top players in the G League last season, Smith could add some needed depth and versatility to Brooklyn or Long Island\u2019s front-court.<\/p>\n
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The 6\u201911\u201d, 224-pound power forward recently signed with the Capital City Go-Go, where he\u2019s averaging 12.8 points and 5.3 boards after four games.<\/p>\n
After being taken at No. 33 in the 2025 Draft, Smith averaged 12.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game for the Wisconsin Herd. He also appeared in 23 games with the Bucks, averaging 2.9 points and 1.1 rebounds per game while shooting 48% from the field and 43.3% from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n
The former five-star recruit is still just 21 years old and probably would\u2019ve benefited from the extra seasoning that comes with college ball instead of the now-infamous G League Ignite experiment.<\/p>\n
His talent is undeniable though, and with a developmental staff as hands-on as Brooklyn\u2019s, it might not take much to unlock it.<\/p>\n
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Keon Brooks Jr.![\"Apr](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/4d19930e50fd2a31b892bddecdeeca72.jpeg\"\/)
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Apr 13, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Keion Brooks Jr. (0) passes the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Adam Flagler (14) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
As another player with brief NBA experience, Brooks Jr. has flashed some intriguing scoring ability throughout his brief professional career.<\/p>\n
While appearing in 14 games for the New Orleans Pelicans last season, the Washington product averaged a respectable 10.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 48.6% from the field and 32.6% from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n
During his time with the Pelicans\u2019 G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron,\u00a0 Brooks Jr. averaged 18.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.<\/p>\n
While Brooklyn\u2019s starting unit has a few reliable scorers, the 25-year-old sharpshooter could provide some valuable offensive depth while coming off of the bench.<\/p>\n
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The Nets\u2019 recent two-way history follows a pretty consistent pattern. They\u2019ve targeted two kinds of players: second-round picks like Kessler Edwards and Jalen Wilson, and undrafted college standouts or older projects like David Duke Jr. and Tyrese Martin. Martin, who\u2019s now in Brooklyn\u2019s rotation, didn\u2019t play a single minute in Long Island after signing his two-way deal. And in each of these cases, Sean Marks and his staff eventually moved the player to a standard NBA contract.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sep 23, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks speaks at Media Day. Mandatory Credit:…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":40952,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[23658,98,100,355,99,23661,23656,23662,4579,9580,9414,7070,23659,23660,23654,1263,21,23657,9137,9,24,4610,63,9132,9126,4575,8439,19720,6648,23655],"class_list":["post-40951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brooklyn","tag-adam-flagler","tag-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn-headlines","tag-brooklyn-nets","tag-brooklyn-news","tag-bucks","tag-copyright-notice","tag-david-duke-jr","tag-g-league","tag-getty-images","tag-golden-state","tag-grant-nelson","tag-jalen-wilson","tag-kessler-edwards","tag-mandatory-credit","tag-miami-heat","tag-nba","tag-nba-summer-league","tag-new-orleans-pelicans","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-noah-clowney","tag-nyc","tag-oklahoma-city-thunder","tag-philadelphia-76ers","tag-phoenix-suns","tag-sean-marks","tag-tyrese-martin","tag-washington","tag-yuri-collins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40951"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40951\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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