Nets’ Rising Star Reflects on Second Season

The Brooklyn Nets’ season is coming to an end, which allows players to take stock and reflect on the progress they’ve made throughout the campaign. This could be extremely true for the younger players in the league, as they look to make an impact right off the bat, with the Nets’ Jalen Wilson being no different.

This was Wilson’s second season in the league, having taken a massive step up in his participation and production under Jordi Fernandez, appearing in 76 games as opposed to the 43 in the prior campaign. The 24-year-old was sure to make these appearances count, as he averaged 9.2 points per game on 39 percent from the field. His scoring numbers are nearly double what they were in his rookie campaign when he’d put up five points a night.

Speaking to YES Network, Wilson discussed his sophomore season in the NBA, seeing it as a productive one given his increase in playing time.

”I think it was a great year, I had a lot of fun as far as getting to play,” said Wilson. “Especially starting off from year one, trying to find my way to get to be able to play, and now year two being able to get a lot of good minutes. We had some great wins, great battles, and just learned a lot.”

When breaking down what he took away from these opportunities, the former Kansas star highlighted his understanding of his role on the court and his eagerness to keep taking in new information.

”I think just learning the game more and more, the more you play the more you understand different parts of the game…” explained the 24-year-old. “I think every single game you learn something new about yourself and how you can play and impact winning. That’s the main thing for me, how can I get better and better myself to be able to win.”

While the season may be over, the work isn’t going to stop for Wilson, as he plans to continue to build himself up for next season.

”Continue to get better, continue to put up a lot of shots, continue to work on my body… continue to listen to the coaches, be coachable, understand what they want me to do and do everything I need to do at a high level,” explained Wilson.

Wilson's next season in the Barclays Center isn't a guarantee, given that the 2025-26 season is a club option, which the Nets' front office will have until June 29 to decide on.