Nets Rookies Produce Differing Impacts in an Upset Victory

Four of Brooklyn's "Flatbush Five" played against the Chicago Bulls, helping the team earn its first victory in nearly two weeks.

Jan 16, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Danny Wolf (2) shoots the ball as Chicago Bulls forward Jalen Smith (25) defends during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets broke their five-game losing streak against the Chicago Bulls with a 112-109 upset victory on Friday night.

The Nets' rookies –– minus Ben Saraf, who's on G League assignment –– played together for the second straight game. It was an interesting game to see how head coach Jordi Fernandez allocated their minutes and how they performed in response.

Danny Wolf and Nolan Traoré actually outplayed Egor Demin and Drake Powell in terms of minutes, despite coming off the bench. Traoré played a career-high 28 minutes to lead all rookies.

With the increase in minutes, the Frenchman boosted his production. Along with his eight points, he dished out a career-high seven assists. Traoré has been seeing the floor very well recently, averaging five assists per game across the last four games.

Wolf and Demin matched minutes at 19 apiece, but both had differing nights. Demin had five points, two assists and a block on 1-for-4 shooting –– all field goal attempts were from three-point range. Despite his meager numbers, Demin had a game-high +12 net rating. Wolf was the only rookie in double figures with 13 points, and he also tacked on four rebounds, four assists and two stocks.

.@Daniel_Wolf6 did just about everything in the final 2:41 of the third:

3-pointer then
Steal then
Assist then
Block then
Rebound then
Layup then
Rebound then
Rebound then
Layup pic.twitter.com/xjsoffP1Ec

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 17, 2026

Powell came back down to earth after having back-to-back games in double figures. He scored three points on 1-for-7 shooting and added three assists. His defensive prowess paid dividends as he made a pass deflection on the final possession of the game to seal the win.

This game was a great example of how rookies can, on paper, not have positive performances, but still show promising development. The Nets are trying to shift to a heavy playmaking identity, much like the Oklahoma City Thunder or 2024-25 Indiana Pacers, and their draft selections fit that mold.

Fernandez wants his rookie class to mesh well together, but also compete with one another for developmental purposes. Even though Demin started the game, he rewarded Traoré with closing minutes in a clutch scenario. Despite having a bad turnover with 30 seconds left in the game that led to a Bulls' fastbreak layup, Traoré remained poised and found Michael Porter Jr. for the game-winning play.

Some fans may have been disappointed to see Demin play a small role, but Fernandez made moves that resulted in a win for Brooklyn. With the 19-year-old's mentality, he'll be poised for a bounce-back game against Chicago once again on Sunday.

We're nearly at the halfway point of the NBA season, and the Nets' rookies have already undergone a tremendous amount of development. As Brooklyn makes expected moves at the deadline, opportunities should only widen for its youth.