Kenny Atkinson reveals the silver lining of the Brooklyn season

nine years ago, Kenny Atkinson taken as Brooklyn Nets head coach and lifted the team from the NBA basement into the playoff picture. After the unsuccessful Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving era, The Nets find themselves mired in yet another rebuild.

Unlike Atkinson’s first season, this team has an NBA-record five first-round picks, including Brooklyn’s first lottery pick since 2010. However, the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers see the similarities to its restoration.

“The first year (for me here), we went through a lot. … We just threw a bunch of guys out and they made mistakes and we didn’t win almost a game,” Atkinson said before the Cavs’ 131-124 victory over the Nets on Friday. “But I think about Joe Harris. He was a disaster his first year, like, can this guy play in the league? There were a bunch of guys in that bucket. We had the luxury of throwing them out, though. There’s no better development path than that.

“This looks similar here, where they’re like, OK, the best way to do it is to get these guys in an NBA game and (let them) take their lumps and learn. And then two years, they get a little better, and then the third year, you hope you’re in the playoff hunt. I think that’s a roadmap.”

Kenny Atkinson drew comparisons to his tenure with the Nets when asked about Brooklyn trying to develop a starting five:

“I think about Joe Harris. He was a disaster the first year, like, can this guy play in the league? There were a bunch of guys in that bucket. We had the luxury of being . . . pic.tvitter.com/VkvZLmktkC

— Eric Slater (@erikslater_) October 24, 2025

Atkinson developed several late-round picks, such as Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert, into starting-caliber players with Brooklyn. He also had success with several reclamation projects, including Harris and Spencer Dinwiddie.

Current Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez, also lauded for his player development experience, is tasked with developing rookies Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf.

The Nets are poised to showcase a historic rookie class during the tanking season

from beginners Demin and Saraf are permanent members of the Brooklyn rotation for the start of the season. Both players will have no shortage of opportunities to hone their skills while sharing the midfield.

“Very skilled guys. Skill and IQ, that’s what jumps off the tape,” Atkinson said. “Like all young guys, they need to get stronger physically. That’s my first impression. That’s kind of what their reputation was at the previous level. Skilled guys who are smart.”

The Nets’ selection of Demin with their first lottery pick since 2010 drew widespread criticism. However, the rookie has had an impressive start to the season. He shot 9-of-14 from three in three NBA appearances, including the Brooklyn Finals in the preseason.

Demin had an impact against one of the best teams in the NBA during the first minutes of his career on Friday.

“It’s an amazing experience. To have the opportunity to play those minutes against a team like Cleveland,” the rookie said after the game. “They played super hard. We tried to match their physicality, and we did a good job at the end of the game of coming back from everything we were down and giving ourselves a chance to win. I think that’s really important for me… It’s about learning how to fight back. I think that’s something we see in the NBA all the time, and it’s a little different than college.

“It was important for me to really understand how to approach these situations because this is something new for me at this level. I’ve been in a lot of situations before, but again, it’s just different (in the NBA).”

While Demin and Saraf are enjoying playing roles early in the year, Jordy Fernandez said all of Brooklyn’s starters will get an NBA opportunity at some point this season. With the Nets looking for the top pick in the draft, Traore, Powell and Wolff should see increased minutes as the year progresses.

“Just take advantage of those minutes. Don’t take it for granted. Every minute is very important,” Fernandez said of his message to the rookies. “You’ve got a guy behind you who’s just desperate to get those minutes, and that healthy competition in the group is only going to push each other to be better. (Egor) did a good job (against Cleveland). Ben did a good job. And when Nolan’s ready to play, he’s going to play, just ready for those minutes. I want them to have that mindset.