#brooklyn-nets

#brooklyn-nets

In June, he became their first lottery pick in 15 years. And now he's the first Net named to the Rising Stars Competition at All-Star Weekend since 2019. The tanking Nets headed into Tuesday's tilt in Phoenix with the fifth-worst record in the NBA, but they're the youngest team in the league. They have a record five first-round rookies on the roster, led by Dëmin, and the teenage point guard will be Brooklyn's first representative at All-Star weekend since Kevin Durant in 2022.

Egor Dëmin was named to the Castrol Rising Stars roster as part of NBA All-Star 2026, becoming the first member of the Nets to earn the honor since Jarrett Allen and Rodions Kurucs did it back in 2019. For a rookie class that arrived with more questions than certainty, his selection stands out as a clear signal that Brooklyn's developmental push is starting to get noticed beyond its own walls.

The Nets picked the perfect time to leave our frigid borough for a five-game road trip through several time zones, including the balmy West Coast. But even as Brooklynites continue to shovel themselves out of this week's massive winter storm, the Nets haven't heated up a bit in January. Another embarrassingly slow start manifested itself into the Nets' latest loss, their 12th in 14 games this month,

"Yeah, it's about how you respond. Obviously, you don't like to feel embarrassed. It was a tough feeling," said Fernández. "But we were out there together and the best thing you can do is [Thursday] watch some film, talk to each other, get some work done this morning, do it again and go out there and respond as a group. ... Once again, how you respond is how you should be judged."

Yeah, just good memories. Six years. A lot of good people, a lot of good players. Saw the whole gamut of seasons (in) six seasons," said Ott. "But yeah, it's good to be back. Just different in the other locker room, but another game, ready to go.

Even without Egor Dëmin, Cam Thomas and Day'Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn's offense looked solid. But their play on the other end of the court was putrid yet again, far too poor for them to overcome. The Nets (12-29) have dropped seven of their last eight, and it's hard to imagine them winning unless they shore up their sieve-like defense. Brooklyn allowed 57.1 percent shooting overall, and 20-for-39 from 3-point range.

I think I answered yesterday after the game, that it was me trying to find a reaction from the group,

Dëmin finished with 17 points and five assists on 6-of-10 shooting, drilling 5-of-9 from 3-point range and posting an outrageous 85% true shooting for the night. Standing at 6-9, Dëmin surveys the court with the vision of a quarterback and is already shooting with the poise of a seasoned NBA veteran, a far cry from his pre-draft evaluation. That rare blend is precisely why Sean Marks was willing to take the gamble on him.

Trae Young initially wanted Brooklyn. The Nets definitely didn't want him. Atlanta ended up trading Young to Washington on Wednesday, but the fact the Nets had been an attractive destination - reportedly one of two landing spots initially suggested by Young's camp - for a four-time All-Star not only dispelled any notions that stars would avoid Brooklyn in the wake of the Big 3's breakup, but it is also an auspicious sign for Brooklyn's ongoing rebuild.

Paolo Banchero banked in a 3-pointer from the top of the key at the overtime buzzer to give the Orlando Magic a 104-103 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. Two nights after falling at lowly Washington, the Magic beat the Nets for the eighth straight time to improve to 21-17. Banchero scored 30 points to lead Orlando. Wendell Carter Jr. added 20, Tristan da Silva had 14 and Noah Penda 13.

December ended with Brooklyn leading the NBA in opponent scoring, allowing just 104.6 points per game, nearly six points better than the next-lowest team in the Eastern Conference. It was a sharp reversal for a group that entered the month allowing 113.9 points per game and searching for traction. The question now is whether that version of the Nets can carry into January. So far, the early returns have been mixed, though it's still a small sample.

"Just a true vet," head coach Jordi Fernández said. "You see him right now, he's passing the ball to Drake and we're not asking him to do it. So that shows you the type of veteran he is, his leadership. He holds him accountable and he wants him to get better. So that's very important for us. That leadership is priceless and we're very happy with him... He's doing his job every single day."