Wednesday evening in New Orleans wasn’t a win, however it was one thing the Nets have been ravenous for.
It was a glimpse. Not of this season. Not of the standings. However of what Brooklyn’s backcourt might appear to be when the rebuild stops being theoretical and begins turning into apparent.
Rookies Egor Dëmin and Drake Powell gave the Nets that peek in that 116-113 loss to the Pelicans, placing collectively the sort of rookie displaying that feels larger than the field rating, even when the ultimate rating stings.
Dëmin completed with 17 factors and 5 assists on 6-of-10 capturing, drilling 5-of-9 from 3-point vary and posting an outrageous 85% true capturing for the evening.
Standing at 6-9, Dëmin surveys the courtroom with the imaginative and prescient of a quarterback and is already capturing with the poise of a seasoned NBA veteran, a far cry from his pre-draft analysis. That uncommon mix is exactly why Sean Marks was prepared to take the gamble on him. Throughout the league, outsized playmakers like this are probably the most coveted property. Dëmin continues to be adjusting to the physicality and tempo of NBA video games, but performances like Wednesday’s function the clearest sign that his upside is sky-high.
Powell was proper there with him.
The rookie wing scored 16 factors with 5 rebounds and two assists, additionally going 6-for-10 from the sector whereas pulling down 2-of-5 from deep. That’s 70.7% true capturing, the sort of effectivity that normally belongs to veterans who know precisely the place their factors are coming from. Powell didn’t appear to be he was searching. He regarded impactful.
“I’m very happy with the way he’s played,” head coach Jordi Fernández mentioned. “Does that mean he’s going to be there the whole time? There’s no guarantees here. If he keeps playing hard, we want to see that growth, same as everybody else. That goes for the rookies, that goes for everybody. Keep working, keep getting better. The opportunity is there, and you got to take advantage of it.”
Protection has all the time been Powell’s calling card, the ability that acquired him drafted and the explanation the Nets imagine he can turn into a foundational piece on that finish. However the offensive flashes have began to reach with extra consistency, particularly now that he’s cracked the beginning lineup and is being trusted with a bigger position.
That’s the half that issues. Not simply that Dëmin can rating or that Powell can defend. It’s that collectively, they’ll share the identical flooring with out overshadowing one another.
Dëmin’s measurement and imaginative and prescient create house while not having pace. Powell’s two-way presence creates stability while not having touches. One stretches the protection with capturing and passing. The opposite compresses it with stress, motion and physicality. In a league that’s obsessive about versatile backcourts, Brooklyn noticed its future alignment for lengthy sufficient Wednesday to imagine it isn’t distant.
The Nets should be within the midst of a five-game shedding streak. They could nonetheless be residing inside skinny margins and youthful errors. However this one wasn’t simply one other shut loss on the schedule. It was proof of idea and a reminder that the rebuild isn’t solely about persistence. It’s about discovering the appropriate items, in the appropriate roles, on the proper time.
And for one evening in New Orleans, the Nets regarded like they may have already got their backcourt of the long run.
