The Brooklyn Nets (1-0) entered training camp with the goal of having a better season than many around the NBA are expecting from them, especially in the midst of their rebuild. Brooklyn's first test of how the revamped roster will look came on Tuesday at the Charlotte Hornets (0-1) and the Nets took care of business while everyone got to show what they're made of in the preseason opener.
The Nets beat the Hornets 124-90 thanks to a complete team effort, especially with Brooklyn's best players looking like they have good chemistry so early in the preseason. Forward Michael Porter Jr. picked up where he left of last season as he finished the game with 16 points and five rebounds while new addition Julius Randle had 13 points and three assists.
It could be something and it could be nothing, but it looked like head coach Jordi Fernandez has a good idea of what he wants his rotation to be given who played the majority of the minutes in the first half. The Nets are looking to "shock the world" and that starts in the preseason. Here are three Nets takeaways from Tuesday's preseason-opening win over the Hornets:
Michael Porter Jr. And Julius Randle Appear To Have Good Chemistry
One of the main questions that folks around the NBA had was whether Porter and Randle would be able to play together given their differing skillsets. However, from the beginning of the game, Porter looked to be the guy that remains as the primary scoring option while Randle is willing to make plays for others and look for his offense when the moment calls for it.
Egor Demin Looks Comfortable Running The Offense
With rookie Mikel Brown Jr. unable to play in this game as he continues his rehab from a left ankle sprain, head coach Jordi Fernandez went with Demin as the starting point guard instead of Nolan Traore or Ben Saraf. Even with the assumption that Demin will slide to the shooting guard spot once Brown is ready to go, the former BYU Cougar looked comfortable being in the point guard spot and creating scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Nets Are More Physical And Are Still Running
The Nets changed their script this offseason when they added two players in Randle and center Mo Wagner that aren't afraid to be physical when they're on the floor. With most of the second-year players getting stronger and players like Porter already being physical to some degree, Brooklyn doesn't look like the kind of team that can be easily pushed over and they still racked up 25 fastbreak points at the same time.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: 3 Nets takeaways from 124-90 preseason opener win over the Hornets
