Brooklyn Nets News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Oct 22, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) drives in during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

Three Takeaways From the Nets Season Opening Loss to the Hornets

Originally posted on Brooklyn Nets on SI | By Zach Hiney | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 9:46 PM ET

The Brooklyn Nets opened up their 2025-26 season with a disappointing 136-117 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

On a night filled with rookie debuts and optimism about the new season, Brooklyn's defense didn't make the trip to Charlotte, and the Nets start the new season 0-1. It's a disappointing, but not entirely surprising result for a rebuilding Nets franchise.

It wasn't all bad, though, as there were some glimpses of hope from some important young players during this season-opening loss. Here are the three biggest takeaways from the Nets' season opener.

1. Defense Must Improve

This was a huge area of concern entering the season, as the Nets' starting lineup includes both Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas, two players known for their offense and lackluster defense. And those concerns reared their ugly head on Wednesday night. The Hornets scored 77 points in the first half, en route to scoring 136 points by the end of the night.

The Nets really struggled in transition defense, giving up way too many easy buckets. They also struggled on the glass, surrendering 14 offensive rebounds to Charlotte. The Nets aren't going to be a defensive juggernaut by any stretch, but they need to be way better than they were on Wednesday night if they want to be competitive in games going forward.

2. Rookies Showed Promise

.@whoisegor3 showin’ off the stepback for his first nba three ‍ pic.twitter.com/tOtsuVKOKw
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 23, 2025

Four of the five Nets 2025 first-round picks made their NBA debut on Wednesday, and they each showed some good stuff despite the loss. Ben Saraf got the start, showing off that playmaking ability that was so enticing to the Brooklyn front office. He finished with eight points, seven rebounds, and four assists on the night. Highly anticipated lottery pick Egor Demin was one of Jordi Fernandez's first options off the bench, and he displayed a beautiful three-point stroke. Demin drained four triples on the night and finished with 14 points, five rebounds, and two assists.

Drake Powell and Nolan Traore each got into the game in the second half for a few minutes and acquainted themselves well. Powell had two points and two rebounds across seven minutes, while Traore finished with three points in eight minutes. It's a great sign for the future of the Nets franchise that this rookie class showed some really good signs in their debuts. In what looks like it'll be a tough season, this rookie class could be a real bright spot in Brooklyn.

3. Centers Looked Impressive

Day'Ron at the break in CHA:

12 PTS | 5-6 FG

in 9 minutes off the bench pic.twitter.com/spZ0t81QnQ
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 23, 2025

The Nets' center position was really impressive in the season opener. Nic Claxton got the start and looked really good, finishing the night with 17 points in 23 minutes on 8-12 shooting from the field. Claxton is an important piece on this year's roster and with the franchise going forward, so a strong start for him was paramount. The key for Claxton will be consistency, as he'll need to string together

The biggest surprise of the night was backup center Day'Ron Sharpe, who finished with 14 points and four rebounds in just 14 minutes of game action. He added a pair of blocks and a steal, showing some defensive versatility as well. He'll need to clean up the turnovers and fouls, as he had five of each, but this was a solid start to his fifth NBA season. With rookie Danny Wolf banged up at the moment, the Nets will need Sharpe to give them good minutes off the bench when Claxton needs a rest going forward.

This article first appeared on Brooklyn Nets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: