Tonight, the Brooklyn Nets kick off their first of at least five Summer League games in Las Vegas.
After playing in a back-to-back-to-back during the “California Classic” in Sacramento, the team arrived in Vegas to face off against a familiar organization: the cross-town rivals and reigning NBA Champion New York Knicks.
Now, it may not be regular-season action or even preseason, but hey, it’s still a battle of the boroughs… just happening in Vegas with mostly non-NBA players.
Where to watch?
Tonight’s clash from the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas can be watched on Prime Video or the Gotham Sports App.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 pm ET.
The game
The Nets finished the California Classic with a 2-1 record. Above all, though, several pieces from their young core thrived.
Egor Dëmin finished second in scoring (23 points per game) in two outings, trailing only Darius Acuff Jr.’s 23.5, who did it on much more inefficient splits.
While Dëmin wasn’t very efficient beyond the arc (30.8%), we consistently saw him use his newly chiseled frame to drive to the rim and make plays around the basket, an area of his game that wasn’t fully unveiled during his rookie season and barely seen in Vegas a year ago.
Chaney Johnson, who is on a two-way contract with the team, was highly consistent, averaging 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2 steals per game over two outings in 21 minutes.
The Nets’ other two-way player, and second-round rookie Tyler Bilodeau, was electric beyond the arc. His 3-point shooting has always been his calling card, nailing 46.4% of his 3-point attempts at UCLA last season.
He quickly flashed that ability in two Summer League games, averaging 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in 26 minutes per game while converting 58.3% of his 3-point attempts. He even drilled four triples in just the first half of the Nets’ final game at the California Classic.
Then, there was the player everyone in NetsWorld wanted to see. Mikel Brown Jr. did not disappoint even in limited minutes. During his Summer League debut, the Nets’ lottery selection last month popped off the screen, notching 10 points in 19 minutes, along with four assists, on 36.4% shooting from the field and 40% from 3-point range. He was, as his coach said, post-game, “electric.”
His impact went beyond the stat sheet, as his size and feel for the game were on full display, and his defensive traits were evident as well.
Drake Powell, on the other hand, needs to get on the right track in Las Vegas. A first-round pick from last year’s draft, he should be providing promise against Summer League-level competition. However, that has not been the case.
In 23.5 minutes across two appearances, he has averaged three points while converting just 1 of 17 field-goal attempts (ouch). That is simply unacceptable, but it is a decidedly small sample.
Throughout the team’s five games in Vegas, Powell’s offensive production needs to pick up.
As for the Knicks, they will begin their Summer League tonight, having not played in Sacramento or Salt Lake City.
Key players on their roster include Pacôme Dadiet and Mohamed Diawara, both of whom held up the Larry O’Brian trophy last month at the Garden as well as Toby Okani, Jaden Akins, Tyler Nickel, and Jack Kayil.
Dadiet, a 2024 first-round pick by the organization, hasn’t been able to find rotational NBA minutes due to the team’s competitiveness while Okani was with the Knicks’ G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, last year, before closing out the season on a 10-day contract with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Akins was dominant with the Motor City Cruise last year in the G League, earning him a spot in the 2026 NBA G League Next Up Game. Nickel and Kayil were the Knicks’ two draft selections this year, each coming in the second round.
Most notably, Diawara played a major role in the Knicks’ regular-season run last year before falling out of the rotation in the playoffs. He quickly became a fan favorite and was a key part of that team, earning him a four-year, $11.27 million contract extension this offseason.
Both teams seemingly share the same goal at this time of year: to hope for the growth and development of young talent and to win some bragging rights.
- Egor Demin doing what he can to shore up his key Nets weakness — and it’s already showing ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post
- Mikel Brown already showing Nets he’s more than just ‘electric’ offense – Brian Lewis – New York Post
- Joshua Jefferson’s Nets debut remains on hold as Julius Randle trade awaits completion ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
- Egor Dëmin is acting different, and the Nets should be encouraged ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
- Why T.J. Saint’s Knicks summer league coaching stint may be a gateway to a bigger role – Jared Schwartz – New York Post
- Knicks draft pick Tyler Nickel’s dad grew up on Long Island and is a lifelong fan of the team ($) – Justin Girshon – Newsday
- Nets’ Egor Demin reveals body transformation that could foreshadow sophomore leap – Erik Slater – Clutch Points
