Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle Show Great Chemistry in Nets' Preseason Opener

The Brooklyn Nets' 2026-27 season will hinge on how far Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle could take them.

Oct 6, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (17) handles the ball during the first quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Brooklyn Nets' 2026-27 season will hinge on how far Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle could take them.

Their preseason opener served as a nice appetizer for what could be ahead during the regular season.

The Nets defeated the Charlotte Hornets 124-90, as Porter and Randle only logged minutes in the first half of the blowout affair.

Porter provided 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting and two assists. Randle had 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting and three assists.

Both found themselves in instances where they tried to get downhill and forced multiple defenders their way, but Porter and Randle were well-positioned in their spots, ready to let the ball fly from their shooters' pockets.

Both were also incredibly efficient on their 3-point shot attempts, with Randle hitting two of his three attempts and Porter going 4-of-6 from downtown.

Randle may not always hit a high percentage of his 3-pointers, but his stroke last night looked encouraging and it could benefit from playing in an offense where the ball moves around rather than standing in the corner waiting for someone to kick it out to him.

The Nets' offense will likely run through Randle for the majority of the season, as he'll likely operate as their point forward with Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. embracing some off-ball action.

Porter is well-acquainted with working around ball screens and generating a lot of his points through cuts, so he should continue to be a beneficiary of the tasty dimes Randle dishes out.

"In all aspects of the game, he's going to just open things up for me," Porter said. "I'm excited to play with Julius. A lot of people were curious how we thought that would work playing together. But I think our games complement each other perfectly. He's able to draw a double team, get downhill, draw a crowd, and then he's also a great passer, and the way he passes the ball, with the velocity of his passes, I don't need much space to catch it and shoot it. I'm excited to get those reps with him in training camp and play together. If we get the chemistry right, it can fit together perfectly.

"I'm just envisioning it in transition, him getting downhill, drawing a crowd, and me coming back for the pitch back for a wide-open three. I just envision myself getting a lot more wide-open shots than last year."