Jalen Wilson Would Rise to the Occasion as Starter Next Season

Is Nets forward Jalen Wilson as a primary starter the answer?

Apr 1, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson (22) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson (22) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Nets GM Sean Marks has a knack for finding gems in the second round of NBA draft classes. The 2024-25 season will be another season where active second-round pick selections that currently make up this Brooklyn Nets roster could continue to prove that right.

One player who jumps out immediately in that vein as the new season approaches is Jalen Wilson., the No. 51 pick from the 2023 draft class.

Wilson just finished inspiring a 21-point comeback with 27 points yesterday versus the New York Knicks in the Summer League. What made his performance even more impressive was scoring 15 in the fourth, clearly showing that he was unfazed when it mattered the most.

JALEN WILSON AGAIN.

Finishes with 27 points, including 15 in the 4th as Brooklyn comes back for the win in Vegas 🔥🔥 https://t.co/8r6CnxIJly pic.twitter.com/5ZmM00Mkbf

— NBA (@NBA) July 16, 2024

Last season as a rookie, Wilson was called upon to start in three games. He showed flashes of handling that opportunity averaging 10.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists on over 40% shooting from the field.

With a different head coach to start the campaign with compared to last in Jordi Fernandez stepping in for Jacque Vaughn, it will be a new system that will take some getting used to. However, Wilson breaking into the starting lineup as a primary starter isn't impossible. The soon-to-be second-year player has not shown any signs that he isn't ready for that pressure and he isn't slowing down any time soon.

With a busy offseason not yet over for the Nets, there's no question that they will be even more motivated to build off of what they did last year. The man of the hour for Brooklyn is Nic Claxton, who just signed a new deal to stay with the Nets for the long haul. As for Cam Thomas, he has the highest ceiling of any player on the team right now.

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