Jan. 9, 2026, 2:56 p.m. ET

The Brooklyn Nets made history in the summer when they selected five players in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, leading plenty of criticize them for taking so many players. Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks explained why he chose to invest so heavily in the Draft, especially at the point guard spot, and a former NBA All-Star is defending the Nets‘ draft class.

“TV analysts killed the BK Nets draft way too early — like November,” former NBA player Michael Redd wrote on X when discussing Brooklyn’s draft performance. In the first round of the 2025 draft, the Nets selected guard Egor Demin (eighth overall), guard Nolan Traore (19th), forward Drake Powell (22nd), guard Ben Saraf (26th), and forward Danny Wolf (27th) with Demin being the standout amongst the class at this point in the season.

“Since then Egor Demin has been a revelation, Wolf has shown enough flashes to believe he’s a hooper, and I almost have to trust the other guys will develop too. You love to see player development in the NBA,” Redd continued in his post on X. Redd seems to echo what some people on the outside are seeing with Brooklyn’s rookies this season, especially with Demin looking better with each game.

Demin, 19, is averaging 10.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 39.6% from the field and 38.3% from behind the three-point line in 31 appearances this season. Demin is also coming off one of his biggest games of the season in Wednesday’s 104-103 overtime loss to the Orlando Magic in which he dropped 18 points (all in the fourth quarter and overtime), five rebounds, and five assists while repeatedly stepping up in the clutch.

Traore, Powell, and Wolf have all shown signs of their potential at the NBA level, but it’s clear that they will need time to develop into their roles with Saraf essentially being in the G League to get more in-game reps. Nets fans talking about their rookies is one thing, but it’s another thing to see someone like Redd, who clearly knows his basketball, discuss Brooklyn’s draft class in a positive manner.

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