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[Saba Sports News] The Brooklyn Nets made history on Wednesday night by becoming the first team ever to make five first-round picks in a single NBA Draft — but not everyone around the league is impressed.
Holding picks No. 8, 19, 22, 26, and 27, the Nets were widely expected to package some for trades. Instead, they used all five, selecting four guards in the process, a move that left many around the league puzzled.
General manager Sean Marks expressed confidence in the haul.
“I’m thrilled with the group we got tonight,” Marks told ESPN’s Chris Herring. “We’ve got some guys who play the right way, move the ball the right way and have some untapped skills there.”
But according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, several NBA agents and executives didn’t share that enthusiasm — and were openly mocking Brooklyn’s strategy.
“I’ve got people telling me some things about Brooklyn. People are making fun of this draft group,” Windhorst said. “Executives and agents were texting me like, ‘They were playing three two-way guys this year, and now they’re clapping for picking players in the 20s — guys who might not be much better than the two-way players they already had.’”
With the No. 8 pick, Brooklyn took 6-foot-9 Russian guard Egor Demin, followed by Nolan Traore (France), Drake Powell (North Carolina), Ben Saraf (Israel), and Danny Wolf (Michigan).
While some Nets fans may have hoped for a more aggressive push to contend in a weakened Eastern Conference, Brooklyn appears focused on rebuilding after a disappointing 26-56 season and another missed playoff run.