NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets rookie guard Mikel Brown Jr. has plenty on his mind as he heads into his first NBA season after being taken with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Brooklyn was hoping to see how Brown would adjust to the pro game, but he recently suffered a left ankle injury that he has been trying to work his way back from.
"He's been doing non-contact. He's in good spirits, he's engaged with the practices. He's learning what's going on, getting the reps that he can," head coach Jordi Fernandez said after training camp practice on Wednesday. General manager Sean Marks initially mentioned during Media Day on Monday that Brown sustained an ankle injury early in camp, but the rookie isn't letting the injury get in the way of
his development.
"So far, that's where we are right now, which is a small setback, but I think mentally that's going to also be a positive thing for you [Mikel], is how you overcome adversity and how you fight through it," Fernandez continued on Brown. "It defines who you are. Those are the type of players and people that we want in this organization, people that have grit."
Brown, 20, is coming into his rookie season following an eventful year as he showed his immense potential during his freshman season with the University of Louisville and with the Nets during the summer league. In four games across the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League, Brown averaged 15.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 38.8% from the field and 34.6% from behind the three-point line.
"I'm doing everything possible to get back on the floor and I'm back on the floor shooting and moving around a little bit. It's coming along well, I've progressed very fast," Brown said during his Media Day interview on Monday. Time will tell if Brown will be able to play in Brooklyn's first preseason game on Oct. 6 at the Charlotte Hornets, but it seems like he is working as hard as possible to come back and is still engaged with the team until he returns.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Mikel Brown Jr. doing non-contact in rehab from ankle injury
