Tag: Jalen Wilson

Nets’ Jalen Wilson reacts to rookie season in exclusive interview

Brooklyn Nets rookie Jalen Wilson gives his take on his rookie season went and everything else that came along the way.

Brooklyn Nets rookie Jalen Wilson had a solid 2023-24 season in which he showed that he could be an immediate contributor to a team looking for someone to make hustle plays. Wilson went from someone who was a superstar during his college career to someone who had to earn his keep as the 51st pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

“It’s crazy. I feel like we just sat down and started like this day one. Now it’s April,” Wilson said during his exclusive exit interview with the Nets’ content team as part of their “Year 1” series where all of the rookies recount their experiences. Fellow rookie Noah Clowney recently gave his take on what this season was like for him and Wilson sat down to explain what it was like to be called on by a team desperately trying to make the play-in tournament.

“It’s crazy how fast it goes,” Wilson said about a season in which he signed as a Two-Way player, but ended up playing 43 games for a Nets team that valued his effort and willingness to do the dirty work. “You (I) got to play against people I’ve been watching my whole life. Like, you don’t know how it’s going to go until you really get out there and get to play.”

Wilson, 23, came into this season with minimal expectations given that he was a second-round pick, but by the end of the season, he played a solid role for the Nets as a guy who could stretch the floor and make some plays when the opportunity was there.

While time will tell if Wilson can ever reach the heights of being a former Player of the Year in college, it’s already known that he will be able to play for Brooklyn for years to come. Wilson realized that he can play at the NBA level after playing against some of the best players in the league during his rookie year.

“I feel like I’m playing good basketball on the same court as guys that I have watched play 20 years like you realize we’re all at the end of the day NBA players. We’re all on the court to do our job,” Wilson said.

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Nets’ Kevin Ollie speaks on Jalen Wilson’s multi-year contract

Prior to Saturday’s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets interim head coach Kevin Ollie spoke on Jalen Wilson’s multi-year deal.

NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets have had a tough past few months as they went from a team looking to overcome the odds to a franchise who may be as expected. However, one of the great stories that came out of this season was the fact that 2023 second-round pick Jalen Wilson had his Two-Way deal converted into a multi-year contract on Friday.

“Just stability, just a constant professional, get in a gym early, leave late, all those different things that everybody says, but they’re true,” Nets interim head coach Kevin Ollie said of Wilson prior to Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. While Brooklyn confirmed that they signed Wilson to a multi-year contract while not publicizing the exact terms of the agreement, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that the deal is for three seasons.

Scotto also reported that Wilson’s contract for the rest of this season is guaranteed while the 2024-25 season is partially guaranteed and the 2025-26 season is a team option. Wilson has been getting regular minutes in the rotation in February after showing what he could do for Brooklyn right away with his three-point shooting and hustle plays.

“Just always in the lab,” Ollie continued. “Working on his game, perfecting his game, open to coaching, just a great role model. And yeah, he’s young, but he’s a leader. And, we see those qualities in him. We see the leadership in him. And, he’s just going to continue to develop because he’s open for learning. And he’s eager for learning.”

Wilson was the 51st overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft after spending four years at the University of Kansas where he went a national title and was a consensus All-American. He’s averaging 5.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 46.8% from the field and 43.3% from three-point range in 21 appearances.

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Report: Nets to convert rookie Jalen Wilson to standard contract

Jalen Wilson has reportedly agreed to sign a three-year contract with the Nets.

Jalen Wilson, who was the 51st pick in the 2023 NBA draft, has agreed to a three-year contract with the Brooklyn Nets, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Wilson originally signed a two-way contract with the Nets in July. He participated with the team in the NBA Summer League, averaging 17.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and one steal on 45.8% shooting from 3-point range in five games.

The 23-year-old has spent much of the season in the G League with the Long Island Nets. He is averaging 19.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists on 38% shooting from beyond the arc. He has recorded two 30-point games, including a season-high 33 points on Nov. 10.

Wilson was a consensus first-team All-American last season at Kansas after averaging 20.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 36 games as a junior. He was the unanimous choice as the Big 12 Player of the Year after leading the conference in scoring and rebounding.

At Kansas, he was the 10th player in program history to record at least 1,400 career points and 800 career rebounds. He finished 27th in scoring (1,475) and 14th in rebounding (802).

Wilson has appeared in each of the last 10 games for the Nets and should remain in the rotation for the remainder of the season. He has had a strong rookie campaign and was rewarded for his hard work.

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Report: Nets converting Jalen Wilson to three-year contract

According to various reports on Friday, the Brooklyn Nets are converting Jalen Wilson’s Two-Way deal into a three-year NBA contract.

The Brooklyn Nets are in the midst of making a push to get back into the Eastern Conference playoff race before they run out of time. While the most important matter for Brooklyn at this time is making it to the postseason, they found some time to reward one of their promising young players.

According to various reports on Friday, the Nets are converting Jalen Wilson, Brooklyn’s second-round pick in this past draft, from a Two-Way deal to a three-year contract. Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Nets and Wilson “have agreed to a 3-year deal, which is guaranteed the rest of this season, partially guaranteed for the 2024-25 season, and includes a team option for the 2025-26 season.”

Wilson, 23, was the 51st overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft after spending four seasons at the University of Kansas that included winning a national championship along with being a consensus All-American. After spending much of the first half of the season playing well in the G League, Wilson has been getting more minutes with the Nets recently.

Wilson has appeared in 21 games for Brooklyn and is averaging 5.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 46.8% from the field and 43.3% from three-point land. With Wilson’s conversion, the Nets now have an open Two-Way spot that they can fill.

Wilson essentially confirmed the news as he reacted to the news by thanking someone very special in his life:

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Could any of the Nets be in the Rising Stars showcase next season?

Are there any of the Brooklyn Nets rookies that could be in the Rising Stars competition next season? Here’s what Nets Wire thinks.

The 2024 Panini Rising Stars game happened on Friday with Team Jalen beating Team Detlef in the Finals to win the entire competition. The showcase displayed some of the rising young talent that the NBA has to offer with the competition comprising of rookie, sophomores, and some G League players.

The Brooklyn Nets did not have any players in the showcase, but that is a representation of where the Nets are as an organization. There are no sophomores on the team and while there are three rookies, one of them, Dariq Whitehead, essentially did not play this season as he was rehabbing from his foot surgeries that he had this offseason.

Noah Clowney and Jalen Wilson have had varying levels of success this season with Wilson showing how much potential he has to be a contributor within Brooklyn’s rotation already while Clowney has shown how much he has left to develop. With that being said, here’s a look at which of these three players could be a rising star in the 2024-25 season:

Nets’ Jalen Wilson says first career start was a ‘awesome moment’

Brooklyn Nets rookie Jalen Wilson earned his first career start in Thursday’s loss to the Cavaliers and it was an ‘awesome moment’ for him.

NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets have not had many great moments this season as the team has seen its season go off the rails after a 13-10 start. One of the bright moments for this season came when Jalen Wilson, the 51st pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, started for the first time in his career in Thursday’s 118-95 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“It felt great,” Wilson said after putting up eight points, three rebounds, and three assists in over 40 minutes of action in Thursday’s loss. Wilson started the game due to a combination of how he has developed this season along with the amount of players that the Nets were missing due to injuries and trades made earlier in the day. Either way, someone special was able to experience one of Wilson’s biggest NBA moments.

“My dad was able to be here to watch it,” Wilson said. “So, feel like it was just a awesome moment all around. It’s tough to lose like that. But, you know, at the end of the day, we can get better from it and translate that Saturday.”

Wilson is one of the more interesting players on the team as he has brought an energy and work effort that has paid dividends for Brooklyn whenever he has played. However, he has mostly been out of the rotation because of how much depth the Nets have in the frontcourt.

However, as Brooklyn moves forward trying to play well enough the rest of this season season to make it back into the Eastern Conference playoff race, Wilson could be one of the players that sees more time. He has already shown plenty of flashes of being ready for more minutes.

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Nets’ Jalen Wilson on big game against Bucks: ‘felt great’

Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson saw some extended minutes on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks and felt great about his performance.

NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets made a choice to sit some of the guys that head coach Jacque Vaughn has said that he’s being wearing thin over the past few weeks due to injuries. As a result, players like Jalen Wilson, the 51st overall pick in this past draft, got an opportunity and made the most of it.

“Felt great,” Wilson said when asked how he felt to have such a big performance against a great team like the Milwaukee Bucks. In Wednesday’s 144-122 loss to the Bucks, Wilson put up 21 points and 10 rebounds while playing some solid defense against Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the best players in the NBA.

“Always fun being able to play the game that I love so much,” Wilson explained. “Just having a chance to go out and compete, especially playing against a good team like Milwaukee. I always just want to take advantage of the opportunity and go out and just play hard.”

Going into Wednesday, the most minutes that Wilson played in a game this season for the Nets was 16 minutes and 42 seconds in a 124-101 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 14. That was during a five-game road trip in which Vaughn had to play some players extended minutes, but was also willing to give Wilson some playing time in a competitive game.

To this point, Wilson has shown a willingness to play hard for the entire time that he’s on the floor and for now, that’s all the Nets need from him. However, Wednesday’s game against the Bucks showed that Wilson can do damage when given the opportunity to do so.

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Brooklyn Nets rookies detail ‘amazing’ experience to start season

The incoming 2023 rookie class for the Brooklyn Nets used Media Day on Monday to share their thoughts of how their experience has been.

NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets are a different team this time around as this current era of Nets basketball is centered around development and potential while trying to win games at the same time. Brooklyn will be interesting to follow throughout the season from multiple angles, including the progression of their rookies.

“We’ve been taking it day by day,” Dariq Whitehead, Brooklyn’s 22nd overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, said during Monday’s Media Day in response to being asked where he is in his recovery from foot surgery. The last time that Whitehead spoke publicly in August, he said that he was feeling good and that his rehab is going great so it seems that there are no setbacks as of right now.

“I got to some working out on the court, doing some running on the court but, more so not playing fives or any contact,” Whitehead continued. It looks like Whitehead will be limited throughout training camp, but it’s also good news that Brooklyn is giving him all the time that he needs to come back from his foot issue.

While Whitehead’s rehab is coming along nicely, he and the other rookies each have their own goals for what they want to accomplish this season. “I think obviously we all had a goal that we want to play,” Noah Clowney, the Nets’ 21st overall pick, said for what he envisions for himself as this season progresses.

“But, I don’t really have major goals. I want to play, I want to win games, I want to contribute,” Clowney continued. All three rookies, including Jalen Wilson, the 51st overall pick in the draft, will most likely spend the majority of their time in the G League this season. The main reason for that is because of how deep the current rotation is right now.

“I would say just be able to contribute,” Wilson said, seemingly in agreement with Clowney and Whitehead with what he’s trying to get out of the 2023-24 season. Wilson played extremely well at the summer league in Las Vegas and made All-Summer League second team as a result. Now, he’s looking to build on that momentum.

“Help contribute to building a good culture. I feel like that’s most important when you know a team wants to go out and win games, you got to have a good culture,” Wilson explained.

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Nets’ Jalen Wilson pulled up to watch Liberty defeat Mystics in WNBA playoffs

Nets rookie Jalen Wilson was among several notable individuals on hand to watch the Liberty defeat the Mystics on Tuesday.

Jalen Wilson was among a group of Brooklyn Nets players that was on hand Tuesday to watch the New York Liberty defeat the Washington Mystics in the first round of the WNBA playoffs.

Wilson was joined by Nets teammates Mikal Bridges and Spencer Dinwiddie courtside at Barclays Center for the contest. They were also joined by several other notable individuals, including Carmelo Anthony, Sue Bird, Ashlyn Harris, Fat Joe and Jason Sudeikis among others.

The group was treated to an exciting contest, in which the Liberty won in overtime, 90-85, to advance to the semifinals. Breanna Stewart led the Liberty with 27 points and nine rebounds, and Betnijah Laney and Jonquel Jones each added 19 points apiece.

New York will face either Connecticut or Minnesota in the semifinals.

Wilson, the 51st pick, debuted with the Nets in the NBA Summer League, averaging 17.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and one steal on 45.8% shooting from 3-point range. He scored in double figures in each game and registered one double-double.

The Nets open the preseason on Oct. 9 versus the Lakers in Las Vegas.

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What can be expected from the Brooklyn Nets’ 2023 draft class?

While the Brooklyn Nets will be looking towards making the playoffs next season, let’s look into expectations from Brooklyn’s 2023 rookies.

The Brooklyn Nets are transitioning from a team that many believed to be a championship contender to a squad that has some good players, but does not have the superstar to take the organization over the top. After the superstar era of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden did not result in much, Brooklyn looks to move forward in a competitive rebuild, so to speak.

The Nets will be led next season by a good, young core in Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and Nic Claxton while hoping that players like Ben Simmons can help elevate the team into the playoffs and beyond. While that is the team’s present goal, it would be interesting to delve into the future of the organization.

Brooklyn made three picks in the 2023 NBA Draft and all three of those players have some level of promise based on what they did in college. Based off the team’s moves this summer, it’s clear that the Nets are looking to get younger and more athletic. Let’s discuss what all three of the draft picks can provide to the team next season: