NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets guard Mikel Brown Jr. had a delayed debut in the NBA preseason due to a left ankle sprain, but he's back and he's ready to make an impact in his rookie season. Brooklyn selected Brown with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and while some around the league were surprised by the move, he could be a steal.

"Just continuing to be myself. Like I said before, I know how much work I put in, I know the effort that I put into it," Brown said of how he wins in the NBA following practice on Friday. In the NBA general manager survey ahead of the 2026-27 season, Brown received some votes for being the biggest steal for where he was selected in the Draft, which should be good news for the Nets.

"I know the attention to detail and how focused I am when it comes to that stuff. At the end [of the day], it's going to all work out. I just put it in God's hand. Whatever happens, happens," Brown continued. As mentioned earlier, Brown missed the first three of Brooklyn's four preseason games due to an ankle sprain he suffered prior to the official beginning of camp, but his debut was impressive given the time missed.

Brown, 20, is coming off a 2025-26 college season in which he averaged 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 41.0% from the field and 34.4% from behind the three-point line. While some people around the league believe that the Nets should have chosen Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr., who is now with the Sacramento Kings, instead of Brown, the former Louisville Cardinal's debut is potentially an example of why they chose him.

Despite being on a minutes restriction for Brooklyn's 144-128 preseason finale loss at the Miami Heat, Brown still finished the contest with 15 points, three rebounds, and two steals in over 18 minutes played. Time will tell how much Brown will be able to play over the course of this season as he continues to rehab his left ankle injury, but it seems like he could surprise some people this year.