Mikel Brown Jr. is already turning heads in Brooklyn, and NBA.com’s latest rookie ladder says the Nets guard is making a fast impression.
Brown checked in at No. 10 on Jeff Zillgitt’s first ranking of the 2026-27 season, a notable spot for a rookie who has been brought along carefully by Brooklyn. The Nets have been using him in a reserve role, and Zillgitt pointed to Brown’s playmaking as a real strength early on.
“Right now, the Nets have slotted Brown into a reserve role at 22 minutes per game and he has produced as a distributor - 6.9 assists per 36 minutes,” Zillgitt wrote of Brown for NBA.com.
Brown’s rise on the rookie ladder comes after a strong showing against Boston, where he gave Brooklyn a burst late in the game. In the Nets’ 125-124 overtime loss to the Celtics on Tuesday, he finished with 17 points, five rebounds, five assists and hit a clutch 3-pointer that forced overtime.
The No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 draft is averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 28.6% from the field and 35.0% from beyond the arc in 22.5 minutes per game.
After Tuesday’s game, head coach Jordi Fernandez said Brown is starting to settle in.
“You just started to see him being more comfortable, the way he was moving and dribbling with the ball and getting to his spots,” Fernandez said. “He touches the paint, he can explode to the rim and get there.
Obviously, [there are] correctable things, but I think overall for him, more positive everything. His impact was good, so I'm happy for him.”
Brown has been eased into NBA minutes after missing half of his freshman college season, but his performance against the Celtics, combined with Egor Demin’s right leg contusion, could open the door for a quicker path into the starting five. For now, Brooklyn is sticking with the patient approach - and the league is starting to notice.
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Nets Let A Winnable Road Game Slip Away At The Worst Time
Brooklyn had every reason to feel good about how it had fought its way into a tight finish in Boston, especially with rookie Mikel Brown Jr. giving the Nets a burst of life in the fourth quarter. He scored 13 points in the period, and for a stretch it looked like Brooklyn might steal a road game it had no business controlling for long stretches.
Instead, a late mistake gave the Celtics the opening they needed in a game that was already hanging by a thread. The Nets left with a 125-124 overtime loss, a brutal ending in a matchup that had been there for the taking and will linger because the final possession turned from a chance to close it out into another reminder of how thin the margin is on the road. [Read more 🡒]
Why The Nets Wanted No Part Of Jaylen Brown
When Boston came calling with a trade idea for Jaylen Brown, the Nets reportedly didnt need long to think it over. According to league insider Brian Lewis, Brooklyn passed on the offer because Browns close relationship with Kyrie Irving was part of the package, and the organization was wary of reopening old doors it had worked hard to close.
For the Nets, it was less about Browns talent than the memory attached to the move. League sources said Brooklyn wanted no part of anything that could resemble another Kyrie Irving situation, a reminder of how much the franchise still measures potential additions against the turbulence that came with Irvings stint there. Brown eventually landed with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he is playing now, but the reason Brooklyn backed away says plenty about the standards the team is applying to its roster decisions. [Read more 🡒]
Nets May Have Avoided A Bigger Egor Demin Scare
Egor Demins night ended early in Boston after he left with a right leg contusion and never returned, a frustrating turn in an overtime loss for the Nets. The injury came after a collision with Paul George, and Brooklyn was left to sort through another short-handed finish while trying to assess how much trouble its rookie guard was really in.
Demin offered a calmer read after the game, saying the issue does not appear serious and that he expects to be back in a couple of days. Even so, there was still some uncertainty about whether he would need imaging, and his availability for Fridays matchup with the Detroit Pistons remains up in the air. [Read more 🡒]