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No word yet on whether Mikel Brown Jr. will make his preseason debut Monday night in Washington vs. the Wizards and overall No. 1 pick, A.J. Dybantsa. A lot presumably will depend on how he does during practice on Sunday afternoon at HSS Training Center.
Last we heard from Brian Lewis at the Nets Fan Fest last Sunday, the No. 6 pick had been undergoing contact drills with the team’s coaching staff, having rolled his left ankle during workouts prior to the start of training camp. If he doesn’t play Monday, then it’s likely he and fans will have to wait till the final preseason game Wednesday in Miami vs. the new-look Heat.
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The wait has been excruciating for fans anxious to see how the 20-year-old will perform, particularly when paired next to Egor Demin. In his first two preseason contests — both wins — Demin has looked like a different player and he didn’t look bad either during last season or Summer League. Fans see the two, the highest Nets back-to- back picks in 30 years, as the backcourt of the future. Brown Jr. and Demin do, too, each calling the other his “brother.”
In the meantime, fans have had rely on what others are saying about MBJ, starting with the man who picked him back in June, GM Sean Marks. Marks told Sirius/XM recently Brown Jr. has been acting more like a veteran rather than a rookie, organizing team dinners, taking teammates under his wing and emerging as a vocal leader on and off the court:
“He doesn’t act like a rookie. He has a presence about him that you’d say, he’s kind of been there, done that before. Took guys to dinner, took guys under his wing. He’s a vocal leader,” said Mark describing his “swagger”
“He shares the ball, very encouraging teammate… He wanted the best for others, and that really resonated within the locker room.”
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Julius Randle, the team’s veteran leader with 13 years experience and it’s most accomplished player, agrees. He also thinks the Louisville product is the real deal.
“Usually when you’re a young player, you want to try to get a basket every single time, but he’s coming off a pick and roll and really understands how to read and play…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/waiting-swagger-anticipation-grows-mikel-203150423.html
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Publish date : 2026-10-10 20:31:00
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