Brooklyn Nets role change watch: who is being used differently this season
Brooklyn’s 2025-26 season has quietly become a case study in role adaptation. New coach Jordi Fernández opened the year talking pace, but the roster has nudged the Nets into a more half-court, development-forward identity, with Michael Porter Jr. as the primary scorer, Nic Claxton as a playmaking hub, and rookies Nolan Traoré and Drake Powell earning real minutes.
Role changes at a glance
| Player | Previous expectation | 2025-26 usage shift | What it looks like now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Porter Jr. | High-end scorer, secondary star type | First option scorer and late-clock bailout | Career-best scoring load, multiple 30+ nights, season-high 38 in Denver return game. |
| Nic Claxton | Rim-running center, defensive anchor | Playmaking big and decision-maker | Leading the team in assists per game, more short-roll reads and elbow touches. |
| Nolan Traoré | “Project” rookie guard | Primary ballhandler by February | Larger on-ball diet, better control, improved shooting, and big box-score games. |
| Drake Powell | Question-mark rookie wing | Rotation wing with 20+ minute nights | Two-way role: defend, sprint lanes, hit open threes (reported around 20+ MPG). |
| Egor Dëmin | Development guard, shooting doubts | Real minutes with spacing responsibility | Efficient scoring in bigger minutes, strong 3-point rate for a teen guard. |
| Cam Thomas | Microwave scorer | Situational closer depending on offense vs defense | Closes when Brooklyn needs self-created buckets, sits when defense is priority. |
Michael Porter Jr.: from scorer to full-on first option
The biggest shift is Porter’s job description. Reuters notes he has been “thriving as the Nets’ primary scoring option,” including a career-best scoring pace and a season-high 38 points in his return to Denver.
What that changes:
- More late-clock possessions ending with Porter shotmaking.
- More gravity for everyone else, because defenses load up on him first.
Nic Claxton: the center as a creator
Brooklyn has leaned into Claxton as more than a rim runner. Sports Illustrated points out that Claxton has led the team in assists per game, which signals deliberate usage as a hub who can catch, read, and spray the ball out when help collapses.
Why it matters: if your center is making decisions, you can keep structure even when the guard play gets chaotic. It also fits a slower, half-court style when the “run, run, run” plan is not realistic.
Nolan Traoré: “project” to primary ballhandler
Traoré’s role has grown fast. SI notes few expected him to become Brooklyn’s primary ballhandler this early, and NetsDaily details tangible progress since mid-December, including improved control and big scoring plus assist nights.
What to watch: his turnover profile and pace control. When Traoré is steady, Brooklyn’s offense looks like it has an actual plan.
Drake Powell: from reach label to trust minutes
Powell is the classic rookie role shift: start with cameo minutes, then earn a real lane. NetsDaily describes him and Traoré as moving from question marks to rotation pieces, with Powell providing two-way value and playing 20+ minutes per game in this stretch.
His job is simple and valuable:
- Defend a real scorer.
- Run the floor.
- Take open threes without hesitation.
Egor Dëmin: spacing responsibility, not just development reps
Dëmin’s usage has sharpened. NetsDaily notes his production and 3-point efficiency, plus a meaningful split where his scoring jumps in games with 30+ minutes. That tells you the staff is comfortable giving him bigger responsibility when the matchup allows it.
The coaching adjustment underneath it all
SI framed Fernández’s early vision as high-paced, but notes the reality has shifted based on personnel and injuries, with Brooklyn leaning into what its best players do well. That context explains why Claxton’s playmaking and Porter’s shot creation have become the offensive backbone.
Bottom line: what’s actually different
Brooklyn is not just “playing young guys.” The roles have changed in a specific direction:
- Porter is the finisher and first option.
- Claxton is a connector, not only a rim runner.
- Traoré and Powell have real rotation trust.
- Dëmin is being used as a spacer with growth minutes.
- Thomas is the offense lever, not an automatic closer.
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