The third Brooklyn Nets preseason game took place on Monday night. Brooklyn fell 127-119 to the Philadelphia 76ers at the Barclays Center, falling to 1-2 in the preseason and 0-2 against NBA teams.
Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson did not play for Brooklyn, while James Harden and Joel Embiid sat out for the visitors. 13 different Nets appeared on the floor on Monday, nine of which scored eight points or more.
Here are three takeaways from the Nets home preseason finale.
3. Lonnie Walker is going to be a key piece in Brooklyn’s offense
Walker averages 13 points per game across 17 minutes this preseason and will be an integral part of the Nets offense this season. Through five NBA seasons, the first four with the Spurs and the last with the Lakers, Walker averages 9.9 points per game but 11.6 over the previous three seasons.
Per 40 minutes, Walker averaged 20.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and two assists per game for Los Angeles in 2022-2023. The Nets offense ranked 21st in scoring last year, which made it a priority for Sean Marks to add scores, especially off the bench.
Walker was added to the Lakers rotation during game two of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Warriors in May. The shooting guard averaged 13.3 points in 21.6 minutes during the Lakers final three victories and just 6.5 points in their two losses. Good things happen when Walker is on the court.
Level of difficulty: High pic.twitter.com/nH8Sn0Bm6y
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 13, 2023
Walker dropped 13 points on Monday Night and is now shooting 48.2% from three-point range (14-29) through three preseason games.