Nets’ bold draft strategy draws Steve Kerr, Draymond Green’s stamp of approval

The Brooklyn Nets’ front office was lambasted following a historic 2025 draft. Fast forward six months, and the team is in the midst of the NBA’s most dramatic turnaround, with several rookies playing critical roles.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is among those taking notice of the Nets’ promising early draft returns.

“It looks like it’s working,” Kerr said of Brooklyn bringing in an NBA-record five first-round picks. “I watched the Minnesota game today. That was impressive. I just think that every time we’ve played them over the last couple of years, they’ve been energetic, well-organized, well-coached. I just think they’re doing a great job. Jordi’s doing a great job with his staff on player development in the face of, obviously, a rebuild. But [they’ve gotten] seven out of 10 wins [and they have the] best defense in the league in December, so they’re doing something right.”

Steve Kerr on the Nets’ strategy of bringing in five rookie first-round picks:

“It looks like it’s working. I watched the Minnesota game today. That was impressive… They’re doing a great job. Jordi and his staff are doing a great job with player development.” pic.twitter.com/3YfPm18Yz2

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) December 29, 2025

Following an apathetic 0-7 start, the Nets have posted a 7-4 record in December with the NBA’s third-best net rating. Rookies Egor Demin, Danny Wolf, Drake Powell and Nolan Traore have been fixtures in Brooklyn’s rotation during the stretch.

Nets rookies playing critical role in dramatic turnaround

Demin has been the most impressive of the group while starting his last 21 games. The 6-foot-9 guard has averaged 16.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists on 44/40/90 shooting splits over his last six games. While he has limitations as a ball-handler and advantage creator, his three-point shooting (37.4 percent on 12.4 attempts per 100 possessions as a starter), decision-making (1.79 ast/to ratio) and defensive aptitude have allowed him to post a positive net rating (2.1) as a starter.

Meanwhile, Wolf has impressed with his on-ball creation as a jumbo wing while holding up on the perimeter defensively. Powell has flashed added on-ball creation compared to his North Carolina days while remaining solid as a three-and-D wing. And Traore has been effective as a ball-handler and on-ball defender in the second unit since cracking the rotation.

“They’re just playing the right way,” Fernandez said of Brooklyn’s rookies. “They’re not trying to do too much. They’re trying to do the little things, from the winning plays to the shots that they’re supposed to take, whether they go in or not, to all the assignments. And it’s tough because games keep coming in this league and you need to learn personnel, and it’s personnel you’ve probably haven’t played against before. There’s a lot to study, and you have to give them credit. They’re putting the work in. They value and appreciate the opportunity.”

“Because the reality is, if they don’t play up to certain standards, those minutes are not going to be given to them, and they know it. The only thing that we ask for is effort and purpose, and both things are a must. And if you miss a shot, you miss a shot, that’s not a big deal. But right now, they’re contributing to winning, and that’s what’s important.”

Like early last season, the Nets are exceeding expectations under Fernandez. However, with multiple rookies, an ascending third-year player in Noah Clowney, and a potential All-Star in Michael Porter Jr., this year is more promising regarding Brooklyn’s long-term outlook.

The Nets own an NBA-best 12 first-round picks and 18 second-round picks over the next seven years and project to have over $40 million in cap space next summer.

“They play really hard, which I think is the first step in rebuilding any roster,” Draymond Green told ClutchPoints on Monday after the Warriors’ 120-107 win over the Nets. “They’ve got a lot of young talent. They shoot the ball really well. Very good defensively, switching a lot of stuff. I think that this is a team that will continue to build, obviously through the draft with their assets, but I think they’ve got some good, promising young pieces.”

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