Sunday afternoon, the Brooklyn Nets’ reserves took the floor for the team’s final regular season game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite both squads resting their main players, the matchup between the two had plenty of highlight players.
The Nets lost the battle 134-105, but the young players for Brooklyn showed off plenty of potential ahead of their postseason run.
Nets’ young players shine in regular-season finale
In the first-round preview between the Nets and 76ers, both sides reserves gave the fans a taste of what’s to come when the playoffs begin. Although Brooklyn fell short at home, the organization has plenty of positives to take away from the game.
The Nets former first-round pick Cam Thomas has shown plenty of glimpses of his insane ability to put the ball through the hoop. The LSU product put on a shooting display in this one. Finishing with 46 points while shooting 16/29 from the floor and 6/8 from three-point range. The explosive scorer now has four 40+ point games this season. If the 21-year-old can string it all together, not only will he be a viable option for the postseason, but he could be one of the Nets’ primary scorers in the coming years.
Another bright spot came from the recently converted David Duke Jr. The team announced on Friday morning that it converted Duke Jr. to a standard deal. Today, the Providence alum showed just why he deserved it. The 23-year-old ended the game with 15 points, eight rebounds, and four assists on 5/13 FGs. Despite his poor shooting night, Duke Jr. showed his elite ability to score at the rim.
WHAT A SEQUENCE 👏 pic.twitter.com/CqX6jSmEo3
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) April 9, 2023
RaiQuan Gray is another name that showed up in the Nets’ loss. Brooklyn announced the signing of Gray to a two-way contract on Saturday afternoon. The Florida State prospect showed off his versatility in the Eastern Conference showdown. Gray put up 16 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists while shooting 50% from the field. The forward won’t be available to the team for their playoff run, but Brooklyn will keep his rights as they look to develop the young player. Gray is yet another late-season signing for the Nets that showed plenty of promise.
Now, the Nets will shift their focus to the playoffs, hoping to flip the script in the postseason and be the team to come out victorious.