The Brooklyn Nets open the 2026-27 season at home against the Charlotte Hornets, and the first night already offers a good early read on what this team might be. The spotlight starts with Julius Randle, who has made a strong impression in his first few games in the Black & White and could be in line for an All-Star season if things come together.
Michael Porter Jr. also looks healthy and ready, and the Nets are counting on him and Randle to build the kind of chemistry that keeps them in the playoff picture. Preseason gave a glimpse of that connection, with the two already showing some feel for each other’s tendencies. The next step is proving it when the games tighten up and opponents have more film to study.
Brooklyn will also get a clear look at its young point guard group, with Egor Demin, Mikel Brown Jr. and Nolan Traore all in the mix. That rotation is one of the more intriguing pieces of this roster, especially on a night when the Nets are trying to establish their identity right away.
Up front, Day'Ron Sharpe and Moe Wagner are expected to split most of the center minutes, and either one could end up as the starter. Sharpe appears to have the early edge for that job.
Charlotte comes in with a different look after trading LaMelo Ball over the offseason, a move that signaled a change in the guard. Naz Reid will make his Hornets debut, finally stepping into a larger role after being squeezed into lineups with Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, and Randle after Towns was traded to the New York Knicks.
The Hornets will be short-handed, too, with Kon Knueppel sidelined by a hamstring injury and Coby White out with a calf injury. Still, Brandon Miller is a major piece to track, with his game continuing to grow into one of the league’s better three-level scoring and perimeter defending packages.
Brooklyn handled this matchup comfortably in preseason, though that was only preseason. Now the Nets get the benefit of opening at home, and Jordi Fernandez will likely be watching for a few specific things no matter how the result shakes out.
He’ll want Randle to set the tone in the paint and use his playmaking to lift the people around him. He’ll also want Demin to keep attacking downhill with purpose, using his size while still knocking down shots from deep.
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Nets Fans Will Be Watching One Thing In Mikel Brown Jr's Debut
The Nets are opening the 2026-27 season with a close eye on rookie point guard Mikel Brown Jr., whose debut is arriving with a built-in layer of caution. Brown has been working his way back from an ankle injury, and Brooklyn is expected to ease him into the rotation while he continues to rebuild his conditioning and settle into the pace of the NBA.
Jordi Fernndez has made it clear the plan is to take a measured approach with Browns early minutes, prioritizing health and long-term development over immediate load. For Nets fans, the biggest thing to track wont just be how Brown looks with the ball, but how quickly the team can let him grow into a larger role without rushing the process. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Fans Are Still Waiting For Their Rookie Backcourt Look
The early months of the Nets season have already put a temporary pause on one of the rosters most intriguing ideas. Mikel Brown Jr. is beginning the year off the bench, and Egor Demin will open games next to veteran guard Keon Ellis, even though Brown and Demin flashed real chemistry together in Summer League and during open runs.
For now, Brooklyn is still waiting to see that rookie backcourt take shape in regular-season action. Browns role is being managed as he comes back from an ankle issue, which has limited his minutes, and the bigger picture remains the same: the Nets want those two young guards to grow into a pairing that can share the floor more naturally as the season goes on. [Read more 🡒]
Egor Demin Faces One Big Test In Nets Sophomore Year
Egor Demin has spent the offseason and preseason looking like a different version of himself, at least physically, and the early signs have been encouraging for Brooklyn. The Nets guard has added noticeable strength, and both he and coach Jordi Fernandez have pointed to a more confident approach when he gets downhill and tries to get into the paint.
The real examination comes now, once the games start counting and defenders are set to meet him at the rim every night. Brooklyn wants Demin to keep building on that aggression, but the next step is learning how to turn those drives into efficient offense against bigger, stronger resistance, which is where his early progress will either stick or get exposed. [Read more 🡒]