The Brooklyn Nets (3-1) had been rolling through the preseason as they faced a variety of teams while getting plenty of contributions from the majority of the roster. Brooklyn's final test of the preseason came against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat (3-1) and it's safe to say that the Nets still have some areas to clean up before their regular season begins next week.
The Nets lost to the Heat on Wednesday 144-128 in a game where not much defense was played by either side in the preseason finale for both teams. Forward Michael Porter Jr. had arguably his best scoring display of the preseason as he scored 27 points while guard Egor Demin had 17 points and three assists as the starting point guard.
Rookie guard Mikel Brown Jr.'s debut
(15 points, three rebounds off the bench) was ruined, in a sense, by the fact that the Nets had no answer for Heat forward Giannis Antekounmpo, who nearly triple-doubled with 20 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists. Here are three Nets takeaways from Wednesday's preseason finale loss to Antetokounmpo and the Heat:
Michael Porter Jr. Is Ready To Lead The Team In Scoring Again
If the preseason is any indication, Porter looks like he's ready to assume the role of the leading scorer on the team again, especially after finishing this game with 27 points on 17 shot attempts. Porter ends his three-game preseason with averages of 21.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 59.0% from the field and 47.6% from behind the three-point line in 22.7 minutes played per game.
Day'Ron Sharpe Is In An Interesting Position This Season
Sharpe had one of the most interesting games that a Nets player has had in quite some time because of how many positives and negatives could be taken away from the performance. While Sharpe finished the contest with 11 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block, he also dealt with foul trouble for the majority of the game. Sharpe's ability to protect the rim was tested mightily in this one, but most teams don't have Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Rookie Mikel Brown Jr. Makes An Exciting Preseason Debut
Brown finally made his preseason debut after missing Brooklyn's first three games due to a left ankle injury, but he was good to go for this game, albeit on a undisclosed minutes restriction. With that as the backdrop, Brown ended the game with 15 points, three rebounds, and two steals in just 18 minutes off the bench as he displayed his ability to make an impact on both ends of the court.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: 3 Nets takeaways from 144-128 preseason finale loss to Heat
