Nets blow out Heat; two youngsters make history

The Brooklyn Nets smacked the Miami Heat 112-97 on Saturday night, thanks to an efficient scoring night from their starting five. Brooklyn, now 7-8, got up on Miami, who was without Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, early in the game and never looked back.

Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson combined for 43 points on 16-32 shooting to lead Brooklyn. The story of the night for the Nets: the NBA debuts of their 2023 first-round picks, Dariq Whitehead and Noah Clowney.

Two Nets youngsters make history

When Clowney and Whitehead stepped onto the court Saturday night, they became the second and third youngest players to appear in a game in franchise history.

Clowney and Whitehead combined to score just one point in six minutes, but the future is exceptionally bright for those two in Brooklyn. Both were big-time High School prospects in 2022 and were drafted in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft after their Freshman seasons due to their raw athleticism and high ceilings.

In 36 games at Alabama, Clowney averaged 9.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, while Whitehead, the number two recruit in ESPN's 2022 class, averaged 8.3 points and 2.4 rebounds in 24 games at Duke. The ex-Duke was limited due to injury in college, which caused him to slip in the draft, to Brooklyn's gain.

Cam Thomas has an interesting new look

The YES broadcast caught the injured Nets guard on camera last night, and it appears he has an interesting new look.

How about Thomas's new afro? I did not have that on my bingo card. If Afro's help ankles heal faster, then Nets fans will certainly love this new look. Thomas, who was having a breakout season, averaging 26.9 points a game, sprained his left ankle on November 8th and has been out ever since.