Brooklyn Nets rookie forward Drake Powell has been a regular member of head coach Jordi Fernandez’s rotation over the past few weeks as he learns the NBA game on the fly. Brooklyn has been struggling in various areas of the game from defensive rebounding to finishing well in the fourth quarter, but Powell peeled back the curtain on his individual growing pains this season.
“Just the amount of film there is to digest. I think that if you watch the right amount, I think it can benefit you in the long run,” Powell said to the media following Tuesday’s 113-99 loss to the Boston Celtics. Powell played 24 minutes in the contest, but he had one of his quietest games this season as he put up just three points and one steal while racking up five personal fouls over the course of his time on the floor.
“Just continuing to make this simple play, and then just not just keep it simple, just trust yourself, trust your teammates, and just hope for the best,” Powell continued when asked how he improves on the offensive end of the floor. Powell, along with fellow rookie Egor Demin, have been the only first-year players with a consistent role in the rotation at this point of the campaign with Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf on G League assignment.
Powell, 20, appears to have shown that he isn’t in need of reps in Long Island as he has done much of what Fernandez has asked of him, even though both ends of the floor remains a work-in-progress for him. Powell is averaging 5.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 48.7% from the field and 38.5% from three-point land after being selected with the 22nd overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
To this point, Powell has shown flashes of what he could be on the offensive end of the floor as his athleticism and length allows him to pull off some impressive feats at the basket and in the mid-range. While Brooklyn’s offense is concentrated around forward Michael Porter Jr. and his scoring ability, Powell will be trying to figure out how he fits in that kind of offensive approach while looking to grow his game at the same time.