Mikel Brown Jr. has already hit a bump in Brooklyn, but the Nets aren’t treating it like a major one.
The rookie is dealing with a left ankle sprain after rolling it last week, and general manager Sean Marks said at Brooklyn Nets media day on Monday that Brown is not expected to miss “considerable time.” ClutchPoints’ Erik Slater reported the injury on Tuesday.
That should keep the early panic in check, even if Brooklyn will likely be careful with him during preseason. The Nets open exhibition play against the Charlotte Hornets next week, and the team’s plan is to manage Brown in a way that keeps the ankle from flaring up again.
Brown’s arrival in Brooklyn came with some health questions already attached. Before the draft, scouts had concerns about his body after he battled lingering lower back issues for much of his freshman season at Louisville, where he played 18 games.
The back injury first showed up last December in a 99-73 win over the Memphis Tigers. It cost him eight games, and he didn’t return until Jan. 24 against Virginia Tech. When he came back, he looked sharp right away, putting up 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting with six assists and three rebounds.
But the discomfort didn’t disappear. Brown followed that strong return with some rough nights, including three games in his next four where he scored seven, six and 12 points.
At one point, he opened up to mentor Rajon Rondo about how much his confidence had slipped while at Rondo’s house. Rondo’s answer was simple: make the “simple plays,” trusting that the right decisions would follow.
That advice helped spark one of Brown’s biggest moments at Louisville. On Feb. 9 against NC State, he exploded for a career-high 45 points, tying Wes Unseld’s school record for points and Reyne Smith’s mark for three-pointers made in a single game. He hit 10 of 16 from deep in that performance.
Brooklyn still believed enough in the talent to make him the No. 6 pick, and the relationship between the team and Brown was already established before draft night. Marks said the Nets met with him three times before Day 1 of the draft, and the team saw enough to believe he could become a franchise cornerstone.
For now, the ankle sprain is just another thing to watch as Brooklyn heads toward its preseason opener and then its road opener against Charlotte on Oct. 21.
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