Nets Fall Short in Season Opener; Brown Shines in Debut

Mikel Brown Jr. made his NBA debut, providing a rare highlight for the Nets during their disappointing season opener.

The game ended with the Nets losing 110-103 to the visiting Hornets, though the rookie pick managed to show some promising moments.

“Honestly, it’s hard to describe. It’s just great,” Brown expressed. “But at the end of the day, I wanted to win. That’s the most important thing. Still, I was really excited to be on the court.”

Brown concluded his first game with six points, three rebounds, and three assists, committing just one turnover.

Having missed the opening three preseason games due to a rolled left ankle, Brown had a restricted playtime. He clocked in just under 20 minutes off the bench—following 18 minutes during the preseason finale in Miami.

He first checked in with 3:57 remaining in the first quarter, scoring his initial points on a strong drive against Charlotte’s Moussa Diabate for an and-one just a minute and a half later.

While he appeared relatively calm and confident with the ball, he did rush a few plays and ended up shooting 2-of-8. There was also a moment when he attempted to dunk over Hornets’ big man Naz Reid.

“I just need to slow down, sharpen my decision-making. I’ve been chatting with Julius [Randle] about it—just trying to find ways to be more patient. Everything I need is right there; it’s all about pacing myself,” Brown noted. “On defense, I need to maintain that same focus of preventing guards from penetrating. There’s definitely room for improvement. But hey, it’s Game 1. We’ll keep getting better.”

Egor Dëmin got the start at point guard but struggled to finish on his drives. He did manage to penetrate the paint, unlike his rookie season last year, yet was not effective when he got there.

Brown displayed notable speed and made a clever behind-the-back pass to Randle for a three-pointer.

“He’s got a bright future ahead. That play was just a blast,” Randle commented. “His vision has always impressed me. He naturally understands the game and knows how to make reads during plays, especially off pick-and-rolls. He’s going to do great things.”

“He played just as I expected for a rookie in his first game. He was aggressive. Sure, he seemed rushed at times, but he’ll only get better. I’m committed to helping him develop because his role here is going to be crucial for our success.”

Nolan Traore had a difficult outing, scoring three points on 0-for-4 shooting along with no assists, two turnovers, and a minus-13 rating.

Meanwhile, Mo Wagner finished with a team-worst minus-15 in just under 16 minutes.

The Nets had only one player unavailable for the game: Tyler Bilodeau, due to a right shoulder sprain.

Charlotte, on the other hand, was missing Kon Knueppel (hamstring strain), Coby White (calf strain), and Grant Williams (hamstring strain).