Brooklyn Nets' recent lottery picks, Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr., have a message for the team's fanbase: support a winning effort and expect the unexpected. After enduring two seasons marked by significant losses in pursuit of high draft picks, the organization and its fans are looking to the 20-year-old guards as cornerstones for the future.
As the Nets prepare to open their preseason schedule against the Charlotte Hornets, both players emphasized their commitment to daily improvement and victory. "We're going to try to win every single day, whether it's a game or practice or whatever it is," Demin stated at the team's Nets Fest event. "And all we need from them is support and being there for us and not against us."
Brown echoed this sentiment, expressing confidence in the current roster. "I feel like we're gonna shock the world," he said. "I really do feel like we're going to shock the world with this team and this group of guys that we got." He also urged fans to attend games and provide vocal support, noting, "We need all the help that we can get, all the love that we can get."
The Barclays Center crowd has sometimes felt more like a neutral venue than a home-court advantage, particularly when popular opposing teams visit. However, Demin and Brown represent a potential shift, especially after Demin's game-winning three-pointer in overtime against Orlando on January 7th, which generated one of the loudest crowd reactions in recent memory.
Demin, a homegrown player and one of the team's lottery selections, understands the significance of fan attachment. "I'm not taking that for granted. That's the honor to be a part of that. Being able to experience that, and be a part of their community that really cheers and really roots for us, that's very special for me," Demin said. "That's one of my biggest motivations is to keep bringing people joy."
Brown, who joined the team after the Nets' latest tanking season secured the No. 6 pick, views playing for Brooklyn as a privilege rather than pressure. "The burden of playing for this city, I wouldn't even call it pressure; it's a privilege," Brown stated. "It's a privilege to be able to represent the city and represent all those fans out there."
Brown's return to the court is still being managed following an ankle injury. He was cleared for limited contact shortly before the preseason opener. The regular season commences on October 21st at home against the Hornets. "I'm getting back on the court, and I'm moving way better," Brown said. "I'm starting to get to full speed now, starting to get a little bit of contact in as of right now in my workouts and stuff like that."