Three Takeaways from Nets-Wizards in NBA Summer League

There's a lot to take away from Brooklyn's performance. The Nets played much better basketball, so here are three notes after the loss against the Wizards:

Rookies Looked More Comfortable

The stats won't tell you much, but Brooklyn's rookies generally looked more comfortable, and not just because they hit more shots. Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf took a combined total of 20 shots in the Nets' opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Last night, that number went up to 34.

Each rookie was simply more aggressive with the ball in their hands. Traore led the core four in scoring with 13 points in the opener, but this time it was Demin with 12. While the shooting efficiency was off, they were still able to make an impact on the glass and distribute the ball, combining for 13 assists.

There were still plenty of mistakes, but that's part of Summer League. All you can hope for is improvement, and the Nets' rookies gave just that.

Egor Demin's Shooting

Focusing in on Demin, his shooting looked a million times better against the Wizards. There were plenty of questions regarding his three-point shot, and if he could fix those shooting struggles in the NBA.

The 19-year-old shot just 4-for-13 from the field, but all four of his makes were threes, showing incredible efficiency from deep. He shot 40% from beyond the arc, nailing contested jumpers off of screens and freeing himself on the wing.

Demin noted this when talking to media, but the 6-foot-9 rookie is more of a playmaker than a point guard. He's more suited to be a distributor from the wing rather than being a floor general, taking the ball up the floor and creating from there. Keep an eye on how Brooklyn uses him in half-court sets moving forward.

Danny Wolf's Defense

Wolf wasn't exactly spectacular on offense. He put up just eight points on a solid 3-for-6 from the field and 2-for-3 from deep. His two assists weren't anything of importance either. On defense, though, he was an absolute monster.

The seven-footer impressed with 10 rebounds, three steals, and four blocks, forcing turnovers against notable young players such as Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George. The 21-year-old proved that he's not only a mobile defender but a smart one as well, demonstrating poise on the other end.

Before the draft, a notable strength of Wolf's was his lateral movement. We've seen the offensive highlights, with great ball handling and stepback jumpers, but that mobility can also be seen on the defensive end. He displayed that more than anything last night.