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The Brooklyn Nets are about reaching the point in their rebuild when they'd like the arrow to start pointing up.
Mikel Brown Jr. is pretty much holding that arrow in his hand, possessing the most control over where the path goes from here.
Brown was the No. 6 overall pick out of the University of Louisville in the 2026 NBA Draft.
He's a top-notch point guard prospect, capable of throwing dimes as well as draining deep 3-pointers.
There's just one worry: his back.
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Brown missed chunks of Louisville's season, including the NCAA Tournament, because his back wouldn't stay comfortable.
If that injury persists, there's trouble.
If it goes away, Brown can be a star.
NBA Summer League begins this week, and it's the first chance to really see how Brown is doing from a health standpoint.
"All eyes in Brooklyn will be on Brown, a scoring point guard who went sixth in last month's draft to become the Nets' highest pick since Derrick Favors in 2010," ESPN's Ben Golliver wrote in a new article this week. "After a challenging season in which the Nets ranked 30th on offense, the 20-year-old Brown should get every opportunity to take the reins. The Louisville product's first test will be moving past a back injury that limited him to 21 games as a freshman. From there, the Nets will want to see him score in volume and run the offense in the low-pressure Las Vegas setting."
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The Summer League style of play should allow Brown to look awesome, as long as he can stay on the floor.
Obviously, a healthy back in July doesn't mean it'll be healthy during the season. But it would be encouraging to know Brown did heal up, that they may have an idea of how to keep him intact going forward.
Brown has sky-high potential, and the Nets just need him on the floor and feeling good.
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