Brooklyn Nets vs Indiana Pacers: NBA Summer League Preview

Nets basketball is back tonight in the NBA Summer League.

Apr 3, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney (21) drives to the basket while being defended by Indiana Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson (22) during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports / John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Brooklyn Nets summer league ball tips off tonight at 8 p.m. ET on NBA TV, taking on the Indiana Pacers at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. Both teams will play their first games of the summer tonight, and there are players to look out for on both sides.

The Nets come into Vegas with plenty of young players with the potential to make a difference in the league. Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead, Jalen Wilson, and more headline their roster and will look to have big games with more opportunities. Whitehead will have a magnified lens, as after his 2023-24 season was cut short due to injury, we never saw a true glimpse of who he is as a player. NBA Summer League will give us the answer.

Other sneaky names to watch include Jaylen Martin and Zylan Cheatham. Martin is a solid contributor for the Long Island Nets (G League affiliate), and Cheatham was once a high-flyer in the G League but moved overseas to be one of the best players in Australia.

No player on the Nets' roster has more than three seasons of NBA experience, but 27-year-old Cheatham, 26-year-old Jacob Gilyard, and 25-year-old Tyrese Martin could provide veteran leadership, given more summer league experience.

For the Pacers, they come into summer league rostering players who just played in the Eastern Conference Finals. Ben Sheppard is the most notable playoff contributor for Indiana on this roster, with incoming sophomore Jarace Walker getting a chance to prove he deserves good minutes on this playoff team.

Notable rookies on their summer league roster include Johnny Furphy, Tristen Newton, Lance Jones, and Enrique Freeman. All four of these players were some of the best on their respective college teams, with Furphy being a pick the Pacers traded for in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Look out for the battle of the bigs tonight. Wilson and Clowney will likely have to matchup with Walker, and both players are looking to improve upon their rookie seasons. Also, take note of Sheppard or Furphy against Whitehead. Whitehead is technically given 2024-25 as his rookie year, with minimal action in 2023-24, and Furphy hopes to make in impact with his prolific shooting.

Both teams have players with the potential to be great in the NBA, and with no injury report yet, we'll get to see everyone in action.

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