The Nets opened the new year Thursday night at Barclays Center shorthanded and reshuffled, missing three starters against one of the better teams in the Western Conference.
Michael Porter Jr. was ruled out against the Houston Rockets with an illness, Terance Mann sat with a right hip contusion and rookie Egor Dëmin was held out because of lower back soreness. The absences forced Brooklyn into another round of rotation juggling and put immediate pressure on a group already navigating its fifth back-to-back set of the season.
Those openings came with opportunity, though not exactly as expected.
Rookies Drake Powell and Danny Wolf were inserted into the starting lineup for the first time in their NBA careers, while Nolan Traoré, initially expected to draw the nod, was instead slated for extended minutes off the bench. Ziaire Williams did step into a starting role after falling out of the rotation in recent games, but Cam Thomas remained with the second unit for the third straight game since returning from injury, continuing a gradual reintegration process.
“It’s not about replacing them, because they all do very special things,” head coach Jordi Fernández said. “It’s about a next-man-up mentality. And do it by committee.”
For Traoré, the role adjustment didn’t change the plan. He entered the night having appeared in four straight games, averaging 6.5 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 17.5 minutes per game while shooting 44.4% from 3-point range. Fernández said the focus remained on consistency rather than usage.
“He doesn’t need to make the home run play,” Fernández said. “He just needs to hit singles.”
Wolf’s promotion came with its own expectations. The rookie big has earned minutes through defensive positioning, ball movement, and feel, but Fernández said the next step is assertiveness, especially as a shooter.
“I told him the other day he can’t go through whatever minutes he played and not get a 3-point attempt,” Fernández said. “That’s one of his superpowers, his size, his shooting ability, his playmaking, and I need him to be ready.”
Fernández emphasized that Wolf’s development shouldn’t be judged solely by box scores.
“I think the minutes are super valuable,” Fernández said. “He’s always asking, watching film, working. You can see the willingness of how can I get 1 percent better. I don’t need the guys to get 5% better in one day.”
Dëmin’s absence marked the third time this season he and Porter have missed one end of a back-to-back. With Brooklyn scheduled to face the Washington Wizards on Friday night, Fernández acknowledged the physical toll looming as the schedule tightens.
“Now we’ll play four games a week for five straight weeks,” Fernández said. “We’ll always put their bodies and their health first.”
