Brooklyn Nets Rookies Struggle to be Effective Against Rockets

NBA Summer League overreactions are about as pointless as a jumper with a foot on the three-point line –– the worst shot in basketball. There are no definite conclusions that can be drawn from the short sample of games played.

Percentages, usage rates and stats likely won't look the same from the Summer slate to the regular season. The main thing to learn from these games is play style and how someone may fit into a team's system. The Brooklyn Nets are one of the few Summer League teams with plenty of players who could actually contribute in real games.

There are four rookies from their 2025 draft class and three from the 2026 draft class. For the most part, the Nets know what they have in the 2025 crop, but their new trio of rookies remains more of a mystery for how they'll contribute on the main roster.

Brooklyn's hopes of a 2026 Las Vegas Summer League championship dissipated after a 103-83 loss to the Houston Rockets. The staff may look to bench certain players for its fifth and final game with little to prove now for the players on standard contracts. However, the game made it clear to several players that there's more work to be done, especially regarding the rookies.

The trio of Mikel Brown Jr., Joshua Jefferson and Tyler Bilodeau were a combined 8-for-31 from the field and 4-for-17 from long distance. Jefferson and Bilodeau found ways to contribute on the defensive end, and Brown showed improved playmaking in the second half, but the negatives shone.

The root of the struggles stemmed from the Nets not playing their typical brand of basketball. The ball didn't fly around as much as usual, leading to plenty of forced shots. Part of Brown's appeal is his creative playmaking, but he struggled to make plays for others early on, not having a single assist in the first half.

Brown was bound to experience an extremely inefficient performance like this one. He finished the game shooting 20% from the floor and 20% from deep. In the three games prior, he was shooting a blistering 47.1% from the field and 43.8% from three-point range.

Shooting struggles continued to pile up for Bilodeau. Ever since an 18-point outing with six threes to his name five games ago, he's lost his touch.

In the last four games, Bilodeau has shot 2-for-13 from beyond the arc. The difference in this game is that he was able to find other ways to impact the game. The 22-year-old had three stocks for the second straight game and pulled down two offensive rebounds. He finished with a -3 plus/minus in a 20-point loss.

In another form of second-half improvement, Jefferson showed some juice. He had no stats to his name in the opening half other than a foul. The 28th overall pick finished with four points, three rebounds, three stocks and two assists in 19 minutes.

Even in a game that was a hard watch due to inefficiencies, the trio found ways to contribute. The leash won't be as long going into the regular season, however. Training camp and preseason games will be important for them to show they can carve out a role with players already established on the roster.