Nets coach Jordi Fernàndez hinted that he is considering making rotation changes after his rebuilding team suffered its fifth straight defeat Wednesday night in New Orleans.
One significant alteration Fernàndez already had executed on Brooklyn’s road trip this week, however, was the insertion of rookie Drake Powell into the starting lineup in each of the past two games.
Powell — the third of the Nets’ league-record five first-round picks in 2025 (22nd overall) — has totaled 26 points over 49 minutes in the two starts, including 16 with five rebounds and two made 3-pointers in their 116-113 loss to the Pelicans.
“We have high expectations for him,” Fernàndez said after the game about Powell, whose rights were obtained from the Hawks on draft night. “We can see a player that not just can develop and play on both ends of the floor, but can be pretty good, so it’s time to see how he does in that situation.
“I’m very happy with the way he’s played. Does that mean he’s gonna be there the whole time? There’s no guarantees here. If he keeps playing hard, we want to see that growth, same as everybody else. That goes for the rookies, that goes for everybody. Keep working, keep getting better. The opportunity is there, and you gotta take advantage of it.”
Wednesday’s game marked the first time the North Carolina product started in the Brooklyn backcourt with No. 8 overall pick Egor Dëmin, who missed Monday’s loss in Dallas due to injury management.
The 20-year-old Powell got off to a slow start due to an ankle injury suffered on opening night in October, missing the following four games. The 6-foot-5 wing has averaged 5.8 points in 17.8 minutes per game over 25 appearances off the bench as a rookie, and 11.3 points in 25.0 minutes in three games as a starter, also including his first NBA start Jan. 1 against the Rockets.
“Just want to stay aggressive on both ends of the floor,” Powell told YES Network after Monday’s game in Dallas. “That’s what Jordi told me to do leading up to the game, and I ultimately trust myself and trust my teammates.
“I think I have a great circle back home that keeps my head on straight, and, like I said, just trust my teammates, trust my coaches, and then just from there, at the end of the day, it’s just basketball.”
Powell is shooting just 31.3 percent from 3-point range, but he believes his defensive game has steadily improved, with just two personal fouls committed in the past two games.
“It’s a lot different from college, you gotta show your hands a lot, and that’s something I’ll continue to grow at, to be a good defender in this league,” Powell said. “With the more film that I watch and the more games that I play, it’ll just build over time.”
Dëmin has made the most starts among the Nets’ rookie crop with 27, followed by guard Ben Saraf (26th overall) with five and Powell and forward Danny Wolf (27th) with three apiece.
French guard Nolan Traore (19th) has made all of his 18 appearances off the bench entering Friday’s home game against the Bulls, including five points in 19 minutes in New Orleans.
Veteran guard Terance Mann moved into a reserve role Wednesday night, and Fernàndez indicated more rotation changes could be coming after the Nets (11-27) allowed 33 second-chance points and lost for the eighth time in nine games following an encouraging 7-3 stretch in December.
“I know our guys care about doing the right things,” Fernàndez said. “The problem is, right now our focus and our intentions are not there. And that’s something that I’ve got to help them better. And there’s different ways you can do it, obviously. So I’m going to try to do my best to find 10 guys in the rotation that care about rebounding, that care about ball pressure, that care about doing the right things.
“And then if you make mistakes, we can live with it. But the intentions and the effort, it’s a priority for us. I trust the group. They’ve always shown a reaction, and work. I trust the coaches, they always come back with answers and positive energy. And that’s how we’re gonna do it here.”
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