Julius Randle has played enough NBA basketball in his career to know how trivial an October exhibition is. Regardless, the veteran forward still dove after a loose ball Thursday night and picked up full court as if something bigger than a preseason result were at stake.
Then there’s newly signed Moe Wagner, who made life miserable for the Philadelphia 76ers’ bigs. Keon Ellis pressured ball handlers relentlessly. Chaney Johnson challenged shots, including a 3-point attempt from Joel Embiid. Everywhere the Nets turned, somebody seemed determined to make another possession hell for the visitors.
And while Brooklyn wasn’t particularly sharp offensively, it kept finding ways to rip the ball back.
The Nets improved to 2-0 in the preseason with a 114-108 victory over the 76ers at Barclays Center, shooting 44.3% from the field but forcing 22 turnovers, collecting 14 steals and attempting 18 more shots than Philadelphia.
Randle finished with 14 points, six rebounds and two assists on 4-for-11 shooting. Egor Dëmin added 13 points and five assists, while Ellis and Nolan Traoré scored 12 apiece. Noah Clowney contributed 11, including 10 during a third-quarter surge that turned a two-point halftime deficit into a 12-point advantage.
It was a different kind of performance from Tuesday’s 124-90 win in Charlotte, where Brooklyn shot 55% and buried 20 3-pointers. The Nets weren’t nearly as accurate Thursday. Their physicality and willingness to chase extra possessions helped make up the difference.
Head coach Jordi Fernández was particularly pleased with Randle, whose defensive effort matched the demands placed on Brooklyn’s younger players.
“I mean, I couldn’t ask for a better leader and a better vet right there,” Fernández said.
Fernández described Randle’s hustle as winning basketball. Effort that encourages others to follow. For a roster still learning how its pieces fit together, that example stood out, particularly with Michael Porter Jr., Day’Ron Sharpe and Mikel Brown Jr. unavailable.
Fernández got undermanned Nets teams to compete last season, even as the organization kept its focus on the future. Thursday offered another early look at what those demands could produce with a different collection of players.
Philadelphia’s stars played limited minutes, and Brooklyn’s reserves nearly surrendered a comfortable fourth-quarter lead. Two preseason games weren’t enough to settle much.
Still, winning when the shots weren’t falling gave the Nets something to build on.
Here are our takeaways from Brooklyn’s second preseason victory.
DËMIN TOOK CHARGE
Dëmin opened Thursday by knocking down a 3-pointer and hitting a turnaround jumper over VJ Edgecombe. Then came the play that best illustrated how his offensive game is changing. The second-year guard crossed over LeBron James, attacked the lane and finished at the rim over Embiid.
The second-year guard saw an opening and took it, but that wasn’t always the case last season. Dëmin could get into the paint, but navigating traffic and deciding what to do once he got there remained works in progress. His handle now looks tighter, his movements more deliberate and his willingness to challenge defenders greater.
The shooting numbers showed there’s still work to do, and he acknowledged afterward that he needs to slow himself down around the basket. Getting there with more purpose was an encouraging step. Finishing consistently is the next one.
“Yeah, very composed, five assists, one turnover, got to the paint multiple times and you just can see how much he’s improved already from last year,” Fernández said.
Dëmin said afterward that Randle has encouraged him to take command of the offense, telling him, “Hey, lead us. Tell us what to do.”
Hearing that from an established veteran carried weight for the 20-year-old. Dëmin said the conversation helped him feel more comfortable communicating with the group, and Fernández has noticed him becoming more vocal.
“I think that his voice is growing, so it’s very important,” Fernández said.
The Nets need Dëmin to become more than a spot-up shooter. Thursday was another glimpse of a guard learning to create for himself, organize the offense and make his presence felt in ways that go beyond his jumper.
JOHNSON KEPT MAKING HIS CASE
Chaney Johnson spent Tuesday dunking all over Charlotte. Thursday gave him another way to stand out.
The two-way forward battled Embiid, defended bigger players and used his length to disrupt Philadelphia’s offense. He blocked an Embiid 3-point attempt during the first quarter, knocked down a trey of his own and finished with nine points, four rebounds, two steals and two blocks in 18 minutes.
Johnson’s versatility is becoming his strongest argument for playing time.
At 6-8, he has the strength to compete with bigger opponents and the mobility to switch onto smaller ones. His willingness to shoot gives defenses something else to account for. Together, those qualities offer Fernández several ways to use him without asking him to be a featured scorer.
“He does that work that not many people want to do on the court and he’s grateful for having that opportunity,” Dëmin said. “Again, I think it’s rare and I appreciate him a lot.”
Dëmin went further, predicting Johnson will eventually earn a standard NBA contract.
That’s a strong endorsement, though Johnson still has to carve out his place in a crowded frontcourt. Clowney, Wagner, Sharpe and Danny Wolf are among the players competing for minutes, and Fernández made clear that Johnson hasn’t secured a rotation spot, while still encouraged by what he’s seen.
“Obviously there’s nothing guaranteed here. He’s going to keep growing,” Fernández said.
Johnson keeps giving the staff reasons to consider him. An impressive Summer League carried into training camp, and his first two preseason outings have shown he can contribute in different ways. The dunks draw attention. The range of assignments he can handle could be what gets him on the floor.
ELLIS FIT RIGHT IN
Ellis might be one of Brooklyn’s easiest players to fit into a lineup. He doesn’t need a steady diet of touches to contribute. He defends, spaces the floor and takes advantage when the offense finds him.
Ellis scored 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting Thursday, including two 3s, without committing a turnover. He also helped set a physical tone at the point of attack, pressuring Philadelphia’s guards and making routine possessions less comfortable.
The box score credited him with one steal. His defensive impact extended beyond that number.
On offense, his willingness to adjust to the opportunities available should be useful alongside Randle, Porter and developing creators such as Dëmin.
That approach gives Fernández flexibility.
“I mean, some games I’ll shoot two shots, sometimes I might shoot 10,” Ellis said. “So, whatever the game calls for, and that’s just what it is.”
TRAORÉ GAINED GROUND
Traoré entered the preseason looking stronger and more decisive. Two games in, his jumper has begun attracting attention, too.
After scoring 10 points in 10 minutes against Charlotte, the French guard followed up with another strong performance Thursday. He made two of three attempts from beyond the arc, both during Brooklyn’s decisive third quarter.
It took him time to get there. Traoré went 1-for-5 from the field in the first half before finding his rhythm after halftime, when Philadelphia relied more heavily on its reserves.
While Traoré’s speed has always been an asset, a refined perimeter jumper defenders have to respect would give him more room to turn the corner and pressure the paint, making the rest of his offensive game harder to contain.
Fernández credited the guard’s summer work.
“So, he’s got to keep shooting, and he’s got to keep being fast and keep getting stronger,” Fernández said. “You guys can see the difference already and very happy with Nolan as well through the summer and now these couple of games.”
Traoré entered with Brooklyn’s first group of substitutes and handled the second-unit point guard responsibilities. Ben Saraf didn’t play until the fourth quarter, finishing with five points and three assists in 12 minutes.