Five Questions Ahead of Trail Blazers vs. Nets

Who has been the best rookie for the Nets this season out of the five first-round picks?

Out of the Nets' five first-round picks this season, Egor Demin performed the best, but a plantar fasciitis injury has sidelined him for the rest of the season. While Nolan Traoré has come on strong of late, the best and most consistent rookie of the remaining four is Danny Wolf.

He's already one of the team's best playmakers and has been very effective on offense because of his guard-like abilities in a 6-foot-11 frame. There hasn't been much in his game that he has lacked this season; it's just about improving efficiency and developing his athleticism as we advance.

What’s one thing people should know about the Nets that cannot be found in a box score?

Something beyond the box score to be aware of with the Nets is how injury-riddled they've been recently. Day'Ron Sharpe and Demin are done for the season, and players like Drake Powell and Michael Porter Jr. have been nursing minor injuries.

Teams seem to struggle against Brooklyn despite it not having an abundance of talent on the court. It's hard for other teams to game plan when the rotations put forward by the Nets are so erratic.

If the Nets were to beat the Blazers, what would be the reason why?

If the Nets were to beat the Trail Blazers, it'd likely be due to an offensive explosion from Porter Jr. and a sturdy team defense performance. Brooklyn's offense has put up 97 points in each of its last two games without Porter Jr., while simultaneously allowing less than 110 points.

There isn't a go-to scorer without him on the floor, and he draws so much attention from defenses that it opens up the floor for other players. Add on the fact that the Nets haven't stopped putting in effort on defense, and a bottom-10 Trailblazers offense could be stifled.

What’s your prediction for the game?

My prediction for the game is that it will be a high-scoring first quarter, but the Nets will still find themselves trailing by double-digits. They'll cut the lead slightly in the second quarter and put up a big third quarter per usual, but will fall short in the fourth.

My final score for the game will be a 123-112 win for Portland behind a big game from Deni Avdija. A lot of the results will hinge on Brooklyn's health going into the game, but its roster is not catered to handle the Trail Blazers' guard rotation.