From Nash to SGA: Inside Mikel Brown Jr.'s Study Plan for Nets Stardom

The Brooklyn Nets may have finally found their point guard of the future.

Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; Mikel Brown Jr. poses for photos on the red carpet before the 2026 NBA draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Brooklyn Nets may have finally found their point guard of the future, selecting Mikel Brown Jr. No. 6 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Brown should get plenty of opportunities to operate with the ball in his hands right from the get-go, though Julius Randle will figure to eat up plenty of possessions.

While Brown has a chance to make a big name for himself at the next level, there are plenty of big-name point guards he's looking to learn from as he hopes to live up to his fullest potential.

“I honestly don’t watch one person because I want to be the best version of myself,” Brown said when talking to YES Network's Sarah Kustok. “I really like take pieces of everybody else’s game. I used to watch; I still do watch Steve Nash, [Rajon] Rondo, Chris Paul. Then nowadays, you got [Jalen] Brunson, Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], Tyrese Maxey, Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell, Dame [Lillard], and like everybody. I watch every single guard, even the great defensive guards like Davion Mitchell, Jrue Holiday, Cason Wallace, and how they guard. I literally study from everybody on the court just to try to pick up the really good tendencies that they have and try to implement into my game.”

Each of those guards he listed has a unique set of skills Brown could look to add to his game.

Nash, of course, was the engine behind the "Seven Seconds or Less" offense with the Phoenix Suns, requiring him to push the tempo early to create easier shot opportunities for himself and his teammates.

Rondo and Paul made names for themselves due to their playmaking prowess and defensive skills. Both knew how to mesh well with other big names and lock up their opponent.

All of the modern guards he listed have mastered the ability to score at all three levels in creative ways, whether it's shooting off the dribble, going to a floater, or drawing fouls on hard drives to the rim.

Brown has the size to operate like SGA, but he'll need to learn how to get to his spot, get the defender on his back hip and manipulate defenders to experience the same success on the offensive side of the floor.

What's also encouraging is that Brown is looking to learn from some of the best defenders the NBA has to offer, even if they aren't the most attractive names on an NBA roster.