Nets Rookies Get First Test; Preseason Opener vs. Suns Brings Early Lessons

In 12 days, Brooklyn Nets basketball will be back.

When they open preseason play against the Phoenix Suns at The Venetian Arena in Macau, China, on Oct. 3 at 8 a.m. EST, all of this summer's additions will put on the black and white threads for the first time—specifically, the five first-round picks Brooklyn made back in June.

Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf's first NBA action—outside of summer league—will be against a completely revamped Phoenix squad that includes some impressive youngsters itself.

Now that the Suns have shifted from the Devin Booker-Kevin Durant-Bradley Beal era, embracing a bit of a youth movement, this matchup could genuinely be very beneficial for both parties. While Brooklyn will be evaluating its record-breaking draft class, Phoenix will be watching how its new big man tandem of Khaman Maluach and Mark Williams fits alongside fellow rookies Koby Brea and Rasheer Fleming.

Assuming neither side's top guys play more than two and a half quarters, there will be plenty of opportunity for head coach Jordi Fernandez to experiment with his new facilitators. The likes of Demin, Traore and Saraf will be tested on both ends of the court by Phoenix's rookies. Brea and Fleming immediately stick out as players whom Brooklyn could challenge in hopes of helping that trio grow.

Brea is a knockdown shooter, which could be a difficult matchup for any of the three guards. The Kentucky product looked fantastic in summer league, and in the Suns' system, could absolutely be a threat. The same theory applies to Fleming, but on the other end of the floor. His defensive capabilities and 7-foot-5 wingspan will be a perfect counter to Demin's height, presenting a tough but important matchup for the BYU product in his first preseason game.

But the beneficial matchups aren't exclusive to the backcourt. They're present in the frontcourt, too.

Maluach's frame will provide a major advantage underneath, but where he lacks in perimeter defending could allow for Wolf or Fanbo Zeng to attack on a downhill drive. There'd be no way Maluach would have the speed to keep up, potentially forcing a defensive rotation and leaving an open man. Wolf and Zeng both possess impressive ball handling skills for their size, so this is a possibility that Brooklyn should certainly look to exploit.

It may only be an exhibition and not actually count, but the fact that both teams have so many unknown young pieces expected to be integral parts of their respective rotations makes this matchup more intriguing than it would be otherwise.