Nets' Drake Powell Regains Confidence in Win Over Kings

For nearly two weeks, every passing jumper seemed to carry a little more weight for Drake Powell.

The Brooklyn Nets' second-year wing entered NBA Summer League hoping to show how much he had grown after an inconsistent rookie season. Instead, his California Classic and first games in Las Vegas became defined by a brutal theme. Through four Summer League games, Powell had scored just 11 points while shooting 1-for-28 from the field and 0-for-14 from three-point range, numbers that quickly became one of the biggest talking points for the Nets.

But shooting slumps don't last forever.

Against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, Powell finally looked like the confident, athletic two-way wing Brooklyn envisioned when it drafted him. Within his first 13 minutes of action, it was clear he wasn’t afraid of keeping his cold streak alive, shooting the ball without hesitation. By halftime, the Nets had built a commanding 56-34 lead behind a balanced attack led by Egor Dëmin's 20 points, while Powell quietly chipped in 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting, all field goal makes coming from beyond the arc. Brooklyn's ball movement consistently created open looks, and for the first time all summer, Powell made opposing defenses pay.

The final numbers were exactly what both Powell and the team needed. He scored 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting in 21 minutes. It wasn't simply an efficient scoring night — it was proof that the mechanics and confidence the coaching staff had raved about were beginning to return.

Powell’s impact has always extended beyond offensive statistics.

Throughout both the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League, Powell's defensive effort never disappeared. He tallied three stocks against the Kings. While Powell's offensive production earned a disappointing grade through the California Classic, his hustle and elite athletic tools remained reasons for optimism despite the poor efficiency.

What changed against Sacramento was the law of averages finally catching up. Early in the game, Brooklyn established its pace with Dëmin orchestrating the offense and Mikel Brown Jr. pushing the tempo. The Kings were forced to collapse into the paint, leaving Powell with open perimeter opportunities. Instead of rushing his release or second-guessing himself, he flowed into each shot.

By halftime, the confidence that had seemed absent throughout the Summer had completely flipped. Every make seemed to take weight off his shoulders a little more.

Perhaps more importantly, Powell never abandoned the other aspects of his game while waiting for his shot to bounce back. Even through the lowest of lows, he defended and ran the floor well. Those habits made it easier for Brooklyn's coaching staff to continue trusting him despite historically poor shooting splits.

Summer League is rarely remembered once the regular season rolls around, but it can become memorable because of what a performance represents. For Powell, this wasn't just a big scoring night.

The game represented that development is rarely linear, especially for young wings still finding consistency at the NBA level. The Nets have spent this summer emphasizing patience with their young core, and Powell rewarded that patience with the kind of breakout performance they always envisioned.

His shot may have disappeared for four games, but his confidence — and Brooklyn’s in him — never completely did. Now, the next big test for Powell will be carrying this success into consistency in his next outing.

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