Jan. 15, 2026, 12:39 p.m. ET
Brooklyn Nets rookie Drake Powell earned his third start on Wednesday, finishing with a new career high in a road loss against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Powell produced 16 points, five rebounds and two assists in the 116-113 loss at the Smoothie King Center. He shot 6-of-10 from the field, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, and was a team-high plus-five in 24 minutes, 12 seconds of action.
The 22nd overall pick started for the second straight game, showcasing his outside shot and ability to create for himself on a few occasions. The team has been pleased with his production and wants to take a closer look at him with the starting group.
“We have high expectations for him,” Nets coach Jordi Fernández said. “We can see a player that not just can develop and play on both ends of the floor, but he can be pretty good. It is time to see how he does in that situation. I’m very happy with the way he has played. It doesn’t mean he is going to be there the whole time; there are no guarantees here. If he keeps playing hard, we want to see that growth.”
Powell is averaging 6.4 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting 47.1% from the field in 28 games with the Nets. He has scored at least 10 points in consecutive games for the first time this season during his stint in the starting lineup.
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The 20-year-old was highly touted out of North Carolina because of his athleticism, defensive versatility and ability to spread the floor. He has showcased those traits in a limited sample size this season, to varying degrees of success.
Powell is among the five first-round picks the organization added to the roster last year. The team has formulated a detailed development plan for each player and will use the second half of the season to continue to tap into their potential on the court.