Tonight is the night. After going through the dark days of tanking, a disappointing lottery, a promising draft and months of opinions on everything from the court design to the front office from the fan base, October 21 is the start of a new era. With the promise of a backcourt for the future and the addition of veterans including a three-time All-Star, the 2026-27 Brooklyn Nets will make their official debut! We’re glad, almost giddy to be back….
For the first game of the year — and for the second
year in a row, the Nets will face the Charlotte Hornets on Opening Night. After completing a promise-filled season last year and trading their franchise star in Lamelo Ball to the Timberwolves this offseason, the Hornets will find where they stand in a newly loaded Eastern Conference. For the Nets, the organization’s long rehuild will head into a new era.
Where To Watch
Catch the action at 7:30 p.m. ET on the YES Network. You can also stream it live on DAZN.
Injury Report
Aside from Tyler Bilodeau (shoulder sprain), everybody is good to go.
For the Hornets, it’s not looking so good. Rookie of the Year runner-up Kon Knueppel will be out with a hamstring injury. Fellow backcourt mate Coby White will be out with a calf injury, along with Grant Williams (hamstring) and rookie Kylan Boswell (knee).
The Game
First and foremost, the Nets will not feature their projected starting lineup in the season opener. Mikel Brown Jr. will not be in the starting lineup. The No. 6 draft pick is still recovering from a rolled left ankle suffered early in camp. Although he played well in his lone preseason game — 15 points in 18 minutes — the Nets performance team is being cautious. MBJ will play with a minutes restriction and off the bench. His first official minutes as an NBA player will begin when he’s introduced not as a starter but from the bench. Think 24 minutes. That should still be enough to get his feet wet against NBA level competition…
With that being said, Keon Ellis will likely be the starter for tonight, as his feisty defense mixed with his 40.7% career 3-point percentage should match up well with a stronger and more confident Egor Demin against the weakened Hornets. They sure looked good together every time they played.
Julius Randle will also be making his Nets debut tonight. After playing well during the preseason with averages of 14 points a game on 44% from the field, Randle looks to make his mark as a Brooklyn Net, as he did across the river where he was a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection as well as Most Improved Player. In a number of interviews, he’s spoken about he and his family are happy to be a part of the team.
And with Michael Porter Jr. at the other forward spot, Brooklyn will for the first time since the end of the Big Three era have two proven 20-point scorers on the roster. Combined the two averaged 46 points a game last season in Brooklyn and Minnesota.
Perhaps the most crucial debut in the starting lineup will be Day’Ron Sharpe who after Nic Claxton was dealt to Chicago in the Randle trade, he will be the starting center. He has been one of the NBA’s top offensive rebounders per 36 minutes off the bench. Now, he’ll finally get those 36 minutes!
It will be intriguing to see how the Nets bench will play. With Nolan Traore showing upside in his sophomore year, his ability to set the pace and get to the rim should give the Hornets’ guards trouble as well. Don’t be surprised whether tonight or in the future him combined with his 20-year-old teammates Demin and Brown Jr.
Player to Watch: Mike Brown Jr.
Most game previews, we look at the opponents’ top players, but on a special night like this, we’re going with a member of the home team. Admittedly, the Nets had hoped for a higher pick in the Draft Lottery. Despite the No. 6 pick being mathematically the most likely, fans as well as the organization had hoped for a top four pick.
It’s not that they didn’t like the Louisville product — they had him at No. 5 on their internal mock. They just like others (read Cam Boozer and Caleb Wilson) more. But since the Draft, they and the fans have come to forget the lottery. Brown Jr. is a rare player with multiple tools, including surprising athleticism (39.5” max vertical) and deep range (leading the NCAA in three’s from beyond 25 feet with 27.) More than that though as Sean Marks has said, he doesn’t act like a rookie. Now we’ll see if he plays like one!
Putting aside players to watch, fans should also be watching the head coach. Jordi Fernandez from the time he was hired back in April 2024 has been asked to prioritize getting a top pick, aka tank. Now, it’s only about winning.
The Vault
I mean if you ask me, this is the perfect song to begin a new era.
- Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
- Charlotte Hornets Game Notes – Charlotte Hornets
- The Brooklyn Nets should be improved this season, but still face a long climb in a strong East – AP
- First-round pick Mikel Brown Jr. looking to help Nets prove critics wrong – Brian Lewis – New York Post
- Jordi Fernandez ready to kick off post-tanking Nets era with ‘good sense of urgency’ – Brian Lewis – New York Post
- How the Nets are empowering Julius Randle to orchestrate the offense ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post
- Nets enter season opener with new firepower and plenty left to prove ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
- Nets’ Egor Demin reveals mental shift in key area that could drive sophomore leap – Erik Slater – Clutch Points
- Nets 2026-27 season preview and prediction – Rafael Canton – SNY
- 2026-27 NBA season preview: Rankings, predictions, odds / Brooklyn Nets – ESPN
