The Brooklyn Nets (2-1) have had a busy past few days as they have been playing every day as part of the California Classic, but this is an important time of the year for many players. Brooklyn had an impressive win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, but they still had to lock against Golden State Warriors Blue if they wanted to end the Classic with a win.
The Nets beat the Warriors Blue on Monday 100-79 thanks to outstanding performances from Egor Demin and Chaney Johnson along with Brooklyn notching an extended 32-18 run in the second quarter. Demin had 23 points, eight rebounds, and five assists while Johnson had 19 points and seven rebounds. Mikel Brown Jr. played for the first time in the Classic and finished with an impressive 10 points and four assists.
RJ Nembhard Jr. tied for the team lead in scoring for Warriors Blue with 14 points while also chipping in four rebounds and three assists. Cameron Tyson came off the bench to drop 14 points and two rebounds while Nick Boyd and Wade Taylor IV had 13 points a piece. The Nets kept their foot on the gas after the second quarter and now, they have won their second straight game. Here are Brooklyn’s player grades:
Mikel Brown Jr.: B
Brown played for the first time during the California Classic and he started at the point guard spot and put on some highlights that Nets fans are happy that they waited patiently to see. Brown was inefficient from the field overall, but he did a good job of shooting the ball from behind the three-point line and he had some moments passing the ball that should make anyone excited.
Egor Demin: A
With Brown starting at point guard, Demin resumed his role as the shooting guard next to him and he once again stood out against Warriors Blue with his ability to impact every area of the game. Demin did a great job of scoring the ball overall, but he had a rough game shooting the ball from three-point range. Demin was all over the glass and he did a solid job of using his length and size on the defensive end of the floor.
Drake Powell: C+
Powell started once again, but he once again struggled on the offensive end as he couldn’t get most of his shots to fall despite getting some good looks throughout the game. Despite his struggles offensively, Powell did a good job of rebounding the basketball and he has plenty of plays where he moved his feet well on the defensive end of the floor.
Tyler Bilodeau: B+
Bilodeau once again displayed his elite three-point shooting ability, especially with players like Brown and Demin feeding him nice passes off the dribble. Bilodeau did a good job of rebounding, but his defense will still need some work as he picked up way too many foul trying to guard his man.
Chaney Johnson: A
Johnson was the other player that stood out for the Nets as he got whatever he wanted on the offensive end of the floor, especially when he took his defender off the dribble. Johnson did a great job of rebounding and he also made his presence felt on the defensive end with how active he was defending on the perimeter and at the rim with his length and athleticism.
Aaron Scott: C+
Scott had a rough first half as he didn’t contribute much on either end of the floor, but the second half was a different story. Coming off the bench, Scott found a way to be productive offensively as he ran the floor well in transition and he maintained his discipline when spreading the floor, leading to an open corner three-pointer for him. Scott also did a good job of rebounding during his time on the court.
Dion Brown: C+
Brown did not have the kind of stat-stuffing performance that he had the other day, but he still did a great job of contributing on both ends of the floor thanks to his varied skillset. Brown maintained a solid mix of scoring and playmaking for his teammates while also bringing tenacity and physicality on the defensive end of the floor in what amounted to full-court pressure at times.
Dain Dainja: C
Dainja didn’t much against Warriors Blue, but when he was on the floor, he brought his solid touch around the rim and brought a sense of physicality to the court. Dainja did a great job of rebounding the basketball, but he also had some issues guarding his man without fouling.
Ben Saraf: A
Saraf had a great all-around performance against Warriors Blue as he did a good job of scoring the ball all over the floor along with finding his teammates with some nice, well-timed passes. Not only did Saraf have it working on the offensive end, but he was able to make some nice plays on the defensive end with his active hands and quick feet.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets California Classic player grades after 100-79 win over Warriors
