Joshua Jefferson wasted no time making his presence felt in the G League.
In his first game with the Long Island Nets, the Brooklyn first-round pick put up 15 points in Friday’s 121-111 loss to the Greensboro Swarm, offering an early look at the kind of all-around game Brooklyn believes it can develop.
Jefferson went 5-for-9 from the field and 3-for-7 from beyond the arc, while also pulling down six rebounds and handing out three assists. For a rookie trying to carve out a role, that kind of line matters. It’s especially encouraging for a 6-foot-8 forward whose jumper is still very much a work in progress.
The shooting numbers are the part Brooklyn is watching closest. Jefferson hit 42.8% from three in this outing, a welcome sign after he connected on just 34.5% from deep during his senior season at Iowa State, a mark that sat just below league average.
For now, the G League gives him something the NBA bench can’t: reps. Jefferson missed time in the preseason because of lower back soreness, and he was scoreless in his NBA debut against the Indiana Pacers on Oct.
- Rather than sitting behind a crowded Brooklyn frontcourt, he’s getting the chance to play through mistakes and build rhythm with Long Island.
That path makes sense given the numbers game in Brooklyn. Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. are locked in as starters, while Josh Minott, Noah Clowney, Danny Wolf and Chaney Johnson are all in the mix for backup minutes. Those players bring more experience and polish right now, which leaves Jefferson with a tougher climb to the rotation.
Still, the tools are obvious. Jefferson’s versatility stood out at Iowa State, where he posted two triple-doubles last season against West Virginia and UCF. He can grab a rebound and push the break, make the simple pass to an open teammate and jump into passing lanes with quick hands.
Defense is where he says he separates himself. The rookie pointed to his size, near-6-foot-11 wingspan and anticipation as the traits that let him turn stops into easy offense, and he takes pride in that side of the floor.
Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks clearly saw enough to make the move, using the 28th pick he got in the blockbuster four-team Randle trade to select Jefferson, whom draft analysts had projected as a second-rounder.
The Nets already have plenty of young pieces in the pipeline. The Flatbush Five are entering their second season, and Mikel Brown Jr. leads this year’s class as the No. 6 pick.
That’s why Long Island looks like the right place for Jefferson right now. He’s not being asked to force his way into coach Jordi Fernández’s rotation immediately. Instead, he can develop without the pressure of instant results, and Brooklyn can bring him up when the schedule gets busy or injuries create an opening.
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Mikel Brown Jr. will also be unavailable against Dallas, leaving the Nets even thinner in the guard rotation. Both players are at least in line to be in the conversation for Brooklyns next game against the New Orleans Pelicans, giving the team a possible boost after a short turnaround and a chance to regain some needed stability in the backcourt. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Rotation Faces Heat After A Loss Brooklyn Should Have Closed
For three quarters, Brooklyn looked like it had done enough to put another win in the bank, building a lead and leaning on a balanced effort from Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle. Porter finished with 25 points and nine rebounds, while Randle added 19 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in a game that, for long stretches, seemed to be trending the Nets way.
Then the closing stretch turned into the kind of loss that tends to linger in a locker room and in the film room. The 124-121 defeat to Atlanta left Brooklyn sorting through player grades and individual performances, but the bigger concern is harder to grade: how a game that was there to be closed slipped away when it mattered most. [Read more 🡒]
Julius Randle May Have Just Changed Brooklyns Late-Game Rotation
Jordi Fernndez got a useful look at something different in the fourth quarter against Charlotte, and it helped carry the Nets to a 114-104 win. Instead of leaning on the usual late-game mix, Brooklyn kept reserves Danny Wolf and Terance Mann on the floor, and the move paid off as the group helped the Nets separate in the final period.
Julius Randle still did his part with 22 points, but he also showed the kind of selflessness coaches love when a game starts tilting in the right direction. The bigger question now is whether Fernndez treats that stretch as a one-off adjustment or the start of a new closing formula, especially with Wolf and Mann making a strong case to stay in the mix when games tighten up. [Read more 🡒]