What to Watch as Nets' Summer League Continues vs. Hawks

The Brooklyn Nets picked up a dominant win to open their Las Vegas NBA Summer League schedule yesterday, taking down the New York Knicks, 91-65. The story of the day was the chemistry between Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Dëmin, who combined for an efficient 40 points on 13-for-27 shooting.

Now 1-0, the Nets look to carry that momentum into tonight's matchup with the Atlanta Hawks at 8 p.m. ET. The Hawks are two days removed from their own convincing victory to open Summer League action, taking down the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, 93-66.

Here are a few things to watch as Brooklyn and Atlanta face off:

Mikel Brown Jr. vs. Kingston Flemings

Brown was fantastic in his Las Vegas debut, putting up 20 points, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block across just 22 minutes of action while shooting 6-for-12 from the field and 3-for-6 from three-point range. The No. 6 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft looked more comfortable than in his lone game in the California Classic earlier in the week.

Meanwhile, Flemings struggled to score on Thursday against San Antonio. The No. 8 pick recorded 5 points, but notched 8 assists to bring his average to 9.7 dimes a night (counting his tuneup games in Salt Lake City). He hasn't been a prominent bucket-getter, but Flemings has been everything you'd want in a floor general.

Both point guards are extremely twitchy, with great first steps and ball-handling. Not only should fans pay attention to how Brown and Flemings create for themselves and others, but also to their on-ball defense.

Joshua Jefferson's Debut

Jefferson was unable to participate in Brooklyn's previous Summer League games due to the Julius Randle trade having yet to be finalized. Per Erik Slater of ClutchPoints, the No. 28 pick in this year's draft is cleared to make his debut tonight, which should have more fans tuned in.

Jefferson, a 6-foot-8 forward, averaged 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game at Iowa State last season. He has the potential to be a versatile, all-around forward behind Randle and Michael Porter Jr., and his experience at 22 years old could make him an immediate plug-and-play option his rookie season. How will he make himself known tonight?

Nets Sophomores in Different Places

Four of Brooklyn's five 2025 draft picks have been playing Summer League ball, but they're all in different places in terms of production. Dëmin has been the star, averaging 22.0 points on spectacular efficiency, showing more versatility in his scoring.

Meanwhile, Drake Powell has struggled to get it going on offense. Across three games in Las Vegas and Sacramento, the former North Carolina Tar Heel is averaging 2.3 points on just one field goal made (1-for-24).

Then there are Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf, who have been in between Dëmin and Powell. Wolf made his debut against the Knicks after dealing with a back injury, putting up a decent 9 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

Saraf is averaging a solid 10.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists across three games, mostly coming off the bench.

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