A little over six weeks into the NBA season, the Brooklyn Nets have seen wins come few and far between. A 116–103 home victory against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday at Barclays Center improved their record to 4–16 before they played the Bulls in Chicago last night (Wednesday).

While the Nets are entering each game with the purpose of emerging with a W, the development of the young players is also a priority. In last Friday’s 115-103 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at Barclays Center, 6-8 guard Egor Dёmin, the Nets’ top selection (No. 8 overall) among the five 2025 first-round picks they have on their roster, posted a career-high 23 points and nine rebounds.

The following night in Milwaukee, 6-11 forward Danny Wolf, who was taken No. 27, led the team with 22 points, including five three pointers.

“It’s always good to get an opportunity,” Wolf said after playing a career-high 30 minutes. “They say be ready, and I try my best to do that. And [it] felt great to get out there, and have an opportunity, and try to do what I could to help the team win. Obviously, we fell short, and that’s what matters.”

The Nets are hoping to make good on some of their first-round bets, which along with Dёmin and Wolf includes point guard Nolan Traoré (No. 19), guard Drake Powell (No. 22), and guard Ben Saraf (No. 26). The Nets acquired Powell in a draft day trade after he was picked by the Atlanta Hawks. Based on statistical data, it’s a low probability that all of them will be with the Nets beyond their rookie contracts.

But if two or three can grow into mainstays of Brooklyn’s rotation over the next two or three years, or become valuable trade assets that will yield necessary pieces that helps them achieve their goal of becoming a playoff contender — and the highest aim of competing for a league title — then the 2025 Draft will be looked at as one of that was foundational.

They already have some other young building blocks such as 21-year-old forward Noah Clowney. Now in his third NBA season, the 6-10 forward scored a career-best 31 points last week against the New York Knicks in a 113-100 loss at Barclays Center. Clowney has displayed the potential to someday be a focal point of a winning squad but his shooting percentage and rebounding (40.8% and 3.5 reb this season, respectively) before facing the Bulls must drastically improve.

Brooklyn will host the Utah Jazz tonight and the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. 

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