Drake Powell Building Confidence With The Long Island Nets

The Brooklyn Nets are deep into ethical tank mode, losing their last nine games. Still, developmental minutes aren't simply being handed out –– the coaching staff is making it clear that they need to be earned.

In the case of rookie wing Drake Powell, he was relocated to the Long Island Nets in the G League on Feb. 27 as he appeared to be hitting the "rookie wall." This was his fourth assignment of the season, and he just completed his fourth game with the affiliate on Wednesday morning.

Before being sent to Long Island, Powell started in two games of the G League's Tip-Off Tournament in November. His efficiency faltered in 28.5 minutes per game, but he did a little bit of everything, averaging seven points, five rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game.

It seemed like he had locked down a spot in Brooklyn's rotation after his brief stint with Long Island, averaging nearly 20 minutes per game off the bench from Nov. 7 to Dec. 29. Powell even spent an 8-game stretch through late January.

But then his play dropped off as he moved back to a reserve role.

In Powell's last six games, he averaged 4.2 points, 1.5 rebounds and one assist in 18.7 minutes per game. He shot 33.3% from the field and 15.4% from 3-point range.

Instead of making Powell struggle through this stretch against many teams that are vying for playoff spots, the Nets elected to let him regain confidence in the G League. His short time in Long Island is already helping him regain comfort.

Powell scored 21 points on 9-for-16 field goal shooting while pulling down three rebounds and blocking one shot. He was aggressive in attacking the paint and confidently launched shots from beyond the arc, going 3-for-5 from three.

In Powell's first game during this assignment on Sunday, he had 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists on 50% field goal and 3-point shooting. 10 of his points came in the first quarter.

One of his main problems playing for Brooklyn has been being assertive with the ball alongside more talented players. Powell clearly took on the challenge of not letting the offense come to him and instead has been applying pressure on G League defenses.

Getting back into the Nets rotation as the season winds down shouldn't be a problem for the 20-year-old. This move has proved beneficial for Powell and will hopefully translate to more consistent outputs in NBA competition.