Nets coach Jordi Fernandez hinted he is considering making rotation changes after his rebuilding team suffered its fifth straight loss Wednesday night in New Orleans.
One major change Fernandez had already made this week during Brooklyn’s road trip was the addition of rookie Drake Powell to the starting lineup in each of the past two games.
Powell – the third of the Nets’ record five first-round selections in 2025 (22nd overall) – has totaled 26 points in 49 minutes in the two starts, including 16 with five rebounds and two made 3-pointers in their 116-113 loss to the Pelicans.
“We have high expectations for him,” Fernandez said after the game of Powell, whose rights were acquired from the Hawks on draft night. “We see a player who can not only develop and play on both sides of the pitch, but can also be quite good, so it’s time to see how he does in that situation.
“I’m really happy with the way he’s been playing. Does that mean he’s going to be there all the time? There are no guarantees here. If he keeps playing hard, we want to see that growth, just like everyone else. That goes for the rookies, that goes for everyone. Keep working, keep getting better. The opportunity is there, and you have to take advantage of it.”
Wednesday’s game marked the first time the North Carolina player started in Brooklyn’s backcourt with No. 8 overall pick Egor Dëmin, who missed Monday’s loss in Dallas due to injury management.
The 20-year-old Powell got off to a slow start due to an ankle injury he suffered on opening night in October and missed the next four games. The 6-foot-4 wing has averaged 5.8 points in 17.8 minutes per game over 25 appearances as a rookie, and 11.3 points in 25.0 minutes in three games as a starter, including his first NBA start on Jan. 1 against the Rockets.
“I just want to stay aggressive on both ends of the court,” Powell told the YES Network after Monday’s game in Dallas. “That’s what Jordi told me to do leading up to the match, and in the end I trust myself and my teammates.
“I think I have a great circle at home that keeps my head on straight, and, like I said, just trust my teammates, trust my coaches, and from there it’s just basketball at the end of the day.”
Powell is shooting just 31.3 percent from three-point range, but he believes his defensive play has steadily improved, with just two personal fouls in the past two games.
“It’s a lot different than college, you have to show your hands a lot, and that’s something I’ll continue to grow in, to be a good defender in this league,” Powell said. “The more movies I watch and the more games I play, the more movies I will build up over time.”
Dëmin has made the most starts among the Nets’ rookies with 27, followed by guard Ben Saraf (26th overall) with five and Powell and forward Danny Wolf (27th) with three apiece.
France guard Nolan Traore (19th) has made all 18 of his appearances off the bench in Friday’s home game against the Bulls, including five points in 19 minutes in New Orleans.
Veteran guard Terance Mann was moved to a reserve role Wednesday night and Fernandez indicated more rotation changes would come after the Nets (11-27) allowed 33 second-chance points and lost for the eighth time in nine games following an encouraging 7-3 streak in December.
“I know our guys care about doing the right things,” Fernandez said. “The problem is that right now our focus and our intentions aren’t there. And that’s something I have to help them do better. And of course there are different ways you can do that. So I’m going to do my best to find 10 guys in the rotation who care about rebounding, who care about ball pressure, who care about doing the right things.”
“And if you make mistakes, we can live with them. But the intentions and the effort are our priority. I trust the group. They have always responded and worked. I trust the coaches, they always come back with answers and positive energy. And that is how we are going to do it here.”
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