Julius Randle continues to make a strong impression on his new team during preseason play, months after his former team took home the Larry O'Brien trophy.
The three-time All-Star put up 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, nine assists and four rebounds, getting downhill with ease and making good on a couple of turnaround fadeaway jumpers on the drive in the Brooklyn Nets' 131-122 win over the Washington Wizards.
He also continues to shoot the 3-pointer at a solid clip, which would open up his game a lot more if he can get back to shooting closer to the shot percentages he shot with the New York Knicks.
Randle's knack for getting downhill should also continue to set his teammates up for clean looks behind the arc, and his ability to spray the ball around the horn and get the ball through tight angles should set his teammates up for easy looks near the rim.
Michael Porter Jr. poured in 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, filling it up from downtown, commanding the midrange fairly well and throwing down a powerful jam on the fast break.
The synergy Randle and Porter have shown so far has been incredibly encouraging, as both should continue to be beneficiaries of each other on pick-and-roll actions and when both are spotting up from behind the arc.
It should not take very long for these guys to click out there during regular season play, and Day'Ron Sharpe could also play off these two guys very well, given the new Nets' starting center's ability to make plays with the ball in his hands.
Nolan Traore looked like a complete blur out there and was in incredible control of the ball on drives to the hoop, but his 3-point stroke also looked incredibly improved, as he finished with 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
It was an off night for Egor Demin, as he failed to get downhill with the same force as he did in recent nights and was 0-for-5 from 3-point range.
Overall, Nets fans should be incredibly encouraged by what they saw from their group in this one, and it certainly didn't hurt to see Keon Ellis and Noah Clowney chip in 15 points apiece on solid efficiency.
It was also encouraging to see the Nets' defense force 23 turnovers and score 29 points off of them, as Brooklyn has plenty of disruptors on that side of the ball.
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