Coach Dutch Gaitley is pushing Brooklyn's sixth overall pick to embrace defensive physicality and offensive synergy as the rookie prepares for a high-stakes Las Vegas debut.
Mikel Brown Jr. played one summer league game for the Brooklyn Nets, and Summer League coach Dutch Gaitley is challenging the rookie in preparation for the regular season.
Brown Jr. missed the first two games of the California Classic against the Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks. He played in the California Classic finale against the Golden State Warriors (Blue).
Brooklyn's sixth overall pick scored 10 points on 4-for-11 shooting (2-for-5 from three). It was a shaky debut, but Gaitley assigned Brown Jr. to figure out his spots in the flow of the offense.
While the rookie guard may become the primary ball-handler for the Nets, there are still other players who need to be involved, too. Egor Dëmin is one example. Dëmin scored 46 points in two games and displayed improved downhill scoring.
"Him and Egor together, how can we get both of them going at the same time?" Gaitley told Clutch Points Nets beat reporter Erik Slater.
Brown Jr. is a polished offensive player, as seen during his recent playing days at Louisville. Gaitley's main challenges for the Nets' rookie lie on the defensive end, where there were some promising signs in Brown Jr.'s debut.
"Defensively is increasing his physicality," Gaitley said. "The first part is hitting bigs when they're rolling, boxing them out. He's smart, so some of the stuff he's doing defensively, I told him, is Level 4, Level 5. We're still on 1.5 in summer league."
Improving defensively could make Brown Jr. a two-way guard. Increasing his physicality starts in the weight room, as Dëmin did in the offseason.
Spending time adding muscle to his frame helped Dëmin absorb contact in the paint more easily than he could last season. The same philosophy applies to Brown Jr. with a focus on the defensive end.
Gaitley hinted that Brown Jr.'s defense is underrated. He has the tools to execute, but needs the reps to sharpen his skill set and put the NBA on notice as a defender.
"The last part is getting into the ball, more physicality, pick-and-roll, which, defensively, isn't what he's known for right now, but it's something that's going to surprise a lot of people," Gaitley said.
Thursday is the start of the Las Vegas Summer League, and Brooklyn has its first matchup on Friday. The Nets will face off against the New York Knicks at 6 p.m. on Prime Video.
Brown Jr. should be more available during the Las Vegas Summer League and step up to Gaitley's challenges over the next several games.
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