Nets Notebook: Mikel Brown Jr.’s minutes restriction, Charles Lee’s praise and Julius Randle’s leadership

The Nets got just 18 preseason minutes from Mikel Brown Jr. He made them count with 15 points, two 3-pointers and two steals against the Miami Heat. It was an encouraging glimpse of the rookie’s potential, followed by an early test of Brooklyn’s patience.Brown entered Wednesday’s season opener against the Charlotte Hornets on a minutes restriction, a precaution head coach Jordi Fernández explained before tipoff. The demands on rookies, he said, begin long before their first regular-season game.A rookie’s calendar runs from predraft workouts through Summer League and training camp, then into an 82-game season filled with unfamiliar opponents, arenas and expectations. Even the excitement of those first experiences can take a toll a young player doesn’t recognize.“The message to them is basically to be ready and take advantage of the opportunities,” Fernández said of Brown, Joshua Jefferson and Tyler Bilodeau.Brown’s recent basketball calendar offered reason for caution. The 20-year-old played 21 games at Louisville last season, averaging 18.2 points and 4.7 assists while dealing with back trouble. A sprained left ankle then limited him to one of Brooklyn’s four preseason games. Against Miami, he shot 4-for-7 from the field and made all five of his free throws.Fernández likes what he’s seen. He also wanted Brown to build the habits needed to handle the NBA’s daily demands, from caring for his body to preparing for games after the novelty wears off.A player’s second summer can be especially valuable. With the predraft process behind him and a season of experience to draw from, a young player can devote more time to his body and his game. Until then, the Nets will manage Brown’s workload carefully.Fernández noted that only two players remained from his first season with the Nets, and the organization had drafted eight over the past two years. Brown, the No. 6 pick, represents a significant part of what comes next.“We first of all drafted the person, somebody that we believe will represent the club the way that we want to be represented,” Fernández said.Fernández described Brown as vocal and mature for his age, praising his approach to work while acknowledging how much the young guard still has to learn.“I’m very happy to get to coach him and to grow together,” Fernández said.LEE LIKES BROOKLYN’S LOOKCharlotte head coach Charles Lee watched the Nets during the preseason and came away with a striking assessment of a team coming off a 20-win season.“The roster is just loaded, I think so,” Lee said before Wednesday’s opener at Barclays Center.Brooklyn went 20-62 last season, finishing last in the NBA in offensive rating at 108.7 points per 100 possessions. Its four-game preseason offered a sharp contrast. The Nets led the league with a 120.3 offensive rating, an encouraging start for a revamped group still building chemistry.Lee singled out Egor Demin’s improved shooting and growing confidence running pick-and-rolls and playing off the ball. He also praised Michael Porter Jr.’s perimeter shooting and Julius Randle’s ability to create offense for himself and his teammates.The preseason showed early signs of how those pieces could fit. Randle recorded 19 assists in four games, including eight on Porter’s 18 assisted baskets.“They’ve looked great during the preseason,” Lee said. “I even think that the last couple years they’ve continued to develop really good young players.”Heading into the opener, Lee expected a difficult assignment against a Brooklyn team eager to carry that production into the regular season.“I think they were one of the best offensive teams in the preseason, which means that they’re coming in with a ton of confidence as well,” Lee said.RANDLE’S EXAMPLEBefore Wednesday’s opener, Fernández pointed to two plays when discussing Randle’s influence on the Nets: full-court ball pressure and a dive for a loose ball. Those were the habits Fernández wanted to see more consistently from his young team.Randle’s scoring and playmaking had helped reshape Brooklyn’s offense, and the coach wanted the three-time All-Star to set the standard with his effort, too.“When you lead by example, it’s way more impactful than when you lead with your words,” Fernández said.The Nets finished 26th in defensive rating last season, allowing 119.0 points per 100 possessions. Opponents shot 49.7% from the field. Brooklyn entered the season needing greater resistance at that end, and Fernández saw Randle’s example as a way to influence the players around him.Randle registered five steals in four preseason games after averaging 1.1 per game with the Minnesota Timberwolves last season. He started all 79 of his appearances and brings playoff experience to a roster crowded with young players.Fernández wasn’t surprised by Randle’s approach. He’d already felt the forward’s presence from the opposing bench, and coaching him had reinforced that impression.“I think you guys saw him ball pressuring full court and diving for a ball and that’s what we need from him,” Fernández said. “Then all these other young guys, if he does that, you better do it.”