Three Takeaways From the Nets' Road Loss to the Magic

In their first game after the NBA's trade deadline, the Brooklyn Nets (13-37) hit the road for a matchup with the Orlando Magic (26-24).

The Nets made a few moves at the deadline, but the most notable move didn't involve a trade at all. Brooklyn released Cam Thomas, who had spent his first five NBA seasons with the team. They did hold onto Michael Porter Jr., who took the court on Thursday night. Just like MPJ, the Nets struggled in Orlando, dropping the game 118-98.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the Nets road loss to the Magic.

1. Egor Demin Shows Out

With Thomas gone, the Nets' rookies are going to have a lot more room to operate and improve, which was evident on Thursday. Brooklyn's lottery pick, Egor Demin, was excellent against the Magic. The former BYU Cougar had a career-high 26 points on 8-12 shooting from the field, including six makes from three.

Demin's improvement over the course of his rookie season has been very impressive, as he's taken on a much greater share of the scoring load and done it pretty successfully. He's playing like a cornerstone piece of the franchise and could accelerate this rebuild if his play continues to improve.

2. MPJ Struggles

The Nets' offense goes as Michael Porter Jr. goes. On Thursday, neither of them went very well. In his first game since finding out he would remain in Brooklyn for the rest of the season, Porter Jr. struggled mightily. He finished the game with nine points on 2-13 shooting from the field.

This was an odd off-night for MPJ, who's been so good all season for Brooklyn. With him struggling to get his shot to fall, the rest of the Nets' offense had a tough night. While a few individuals, like Demin, found some success, it was another frustrating game for that side of the ball, and Porter Jr's struggles had a lot to do with that.

3. Brooklyn Has Their Future Backcourt

In another positive development from this game, both of the young backcourt guards for the Nets played very well. Demin's success was mentioned above, but his fellow rookie Nolan Traore also had a nice night. The young Frenchman had 21 points and eight assists in the loss.

Demin and Traore represent hope for this franchise. They've both taken significant steps forward as the season has gone on, showing flashes of the ability to be game-changers. Alongside the rest of their rookie class, it looks like there's some light at the end of the tunnel for the Nets. Sean Marks was criticized for his draft back in June, but he's looking like a genius right now.