As expected, the Brooklyn Nets are among the worst teams in the NBA. And this is by design.
Which of the Nets’ Five 2025 First-Round Draft Picks Has Been Most Impressive? The Answer May Be Surprising
Brooklyn is the youngest team in the league, averaging 23.3, and has five rookies on its 15-man roster. The Nets have lost the first seven games of the season, though the Nets are 3-7 in their last 10. Still, the Nets are tied for the second-worst record in the league at 3-14 with a -10.5 scoring margin. They have lost a league-high 11 games by double figures, and two of their three victories have come against teams with losing records.
Brooklyn has lots of issues. The Nets are the lowest-scoring team in the league, at 109.2 points per game, though they are 24th in offensive efficiency. The Nets rank in the bottom third of the league in shooting, connecting on just 44% of their field goals. They do a good job getting to the free-throw line, but only make 78% of their attempts (20th).
Defensively, the Nets are 22nd in scoring, as opponents are averaging 119.7 points per game. However, they are 29th in defensive efficiency, allowing opponents to shoot 50.3% from the field and nearly 40% from deep. Additionally, the Nets are one of the worst defensive rebounding teams and don’t create turnovers.
Brooklyn will look to snap a two-game slide and earn its victory in front of the home crowd tonight against Philadelphia. But the Nets will be without leading scorers Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas at some point. Thomas has been out since November 8 with a hamstring injury, and Porter Jr. will miss his second game of the season due to back tightness. Haywood Highsmith still hasn’t made his season debut, while rookie Ben Saraf has been upgraded to questionable.
Brooklyn’s Rebuild
Brooklyn entered the season with no inclination to compete in the Eastern Conference. The Nets are in year three of their rebuild and have completely restructured their roster, keeping all five first-rounders they had this year.
Brooklyn took on Porter Jr. from Denver in part due to a 2032 first-round selection being attached. The Nets also took on Highsmith’s contract from Miami for draft assets and got involved with the Kristaps Porzingis deal to add a first-round pick in this past June’s draft. The Nets have 31 draft picks between 2026 and 2032, including four in June, with 12 being first-round choices.
Doing little in the offseason besides adding Porter Jr. and keeping their own free agents on cheap deals, the Nets planned to give their five rookies plenty of run. Jordi Fernandez has started one rookie — Egor Denim or Saraf — in 14 of the first 17 contests.
Denim, the No. 8 pick in 2025, leads the Nets’ rookies across the board statistically speaking. Meanwhile, Saraf, the No. 26 pick, has started five of his seven appearances, though he has been sidelined with an ankle injury since November 12.
Nolan Traore and Danny Wolf have spent most of their time with the Long Island Nets and have had sparse time with the Nets. Traore and Wolf have shown flashes of their potential with Long Island, though both have struggled with turnovers.
Drake Powell, Rookie That Is Most Ready
However, Drake Powell is the rookie who has looked the best, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Powell averages 6.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. He is shooting 50.9% from the field and 38.1% from the 3-point line in 18 minutes of action over 11 appearances.
After a slow start, Powell has gotten constant minutes over the last nine games. Powell has increased his production in that time, scoring 15 points twice and tallying at least three assists on four occassions. He has also shown some defensive chops with nine steals over this stretch.
The No. 22 pick turned in his best performance of the early going against New York in his last outing, with 15 points on 5 of 10 shooting and 2 of 6 from deep. He also set a personal best with four assists to go along with two rebounds and one steal.
“As we go, he’s gonna continue to understand the league [and] the schemes, especially defensively,” Fernández said. “I consider him a very, very good defender with a really high ceiling defensively, and I’m gonna keep challenging him to be better.”
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