Knicks vs Nets Summer League Preview: How & Who to Watch

Where better to stage a battle between New Yorkers than in the shadow of the "Statue of Liberty?"

A brief kind of summer Subway Series comes to Las Vegas on Sunday late afternoon when potential future Manhattanites on the New York Knicks face the Brooklyn Nets' prospects in Summer League action.

Both teams got off to a sour start in their respective quests in the early stages of the weekend: the Knicks' effort to expand upon their runner-up finish from last year took a hit with a 110-101 defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday while the Nets couldn't beat the Cleveland Cavaliers the night before.

What: New York Knicks (0-1) vs. Brooklyn Nets (0-1)

Where: Cox Pavilion, Las Vegas, NV

When/Watch: Sunday, 5:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV

Who's Favored: BKN -2.5

Keep An Eye On: DaQuan Jeffries

Jeffries was the Knicks' most consistent silver lining in Saturday's tip-off defeat, earning 20 points, four rebounds, and two blocks in defeat. Most of his tally came in the first half as the Knicks tried to erase some early Philadelphia leads. Jeffries is one of the holdovers from last year's runner-up group and averaged 18 points over 15 games with G League Westchester.

A good amount of attention has centered upon Isaiah Roby, but Jeffries is no slouch with 47 Association appearances to his name. At 6-5, he's perhaps a bit undersized to replace Obi Toppin as the backup power forward behind Julius Randle, but his fight to make the roster, especially with a year in and out of the Knicks' system, could become one of the hidden summer storylines if he keeps his production up.

Net to Watch: David Duke Jr.

Those looking for any semblance of familiarity in Summer League action will find it in Duke. Working through his third Summer League tour, Duke has been a fringe rotational prescience since arriving as an undrafted free agent in 2021. He had 13 points and six rebounds against the Cavaliers on Friday.

"I think he just loves to play. And I think he’s always trying to get better and develop,” Nets Summer League coach Trevor Hendry said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. "I think for him, it’s just another opportunity to showcase his skills to a broader audience ... For a guy like that who loves to play, it’s something that I’d be more surprised if he didn’t want to play, to be honest.”

Prediction

For the Knicks, it'll be enough of a victory if the relatively high-stakes prospects like Roby (7 points, 3-of-8 on Saturday) and Trevor Keels (1-of-6 from the field) improve on their respective debuts. The Nets, showcasing first-round rookie Noah Clowney, have a bit more to play for and should prevail in this battle of young New Yorkers.

Nets 94, Knicks 89

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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