The opportunity could be fleeting for Jalen Wilson.
His window in net — which has opened the last two games — can only last as long as Cam Johnson remains out with a sprained right ankle and Brooklyn's already shortened lineup needs to adapt.
But with Johnson the subject of trade rumors and a candidate for the rebuilding Nets to deal before the Feb. 6 deadline, games like Saturday could provide a glimpse into the future.
A second-round pick by the Nets in the 2023 draft, Wilson falls short in the class of players who can commit throughout their rebuild—unlike now-guard Dennis Schröder, unlike now-players forward Dorian Finney-Smith.
Wilson falls into the category of young players coach, Jordi Fernandez, wants to help develop and mold.
And during the Nets' 106-97 loss to the Heat at Barclays Center, Wilson flashed the latest step in that growth by grabbing a season-best nine rebounds and posting a season-best eight assists to accompany 12 points in more than 35 minutes of playing time.
The 6-foot-8 forward's numbers received a bump during his sophomore season, as Wilson averaged 9.3 points (up from 5.0 as a rookie), 8.2 attempts (up from 4.2) and 4.5 3-point attempts (up from 1.7) per game.
His expanded production in the Brooklyn offense coincided with his increased role.
On a night when he dropped one fumble recovery and two assists on what would have been the first triple-double of his career, Wilson delivered a blueprint for what his future contributions could look like.
“I know I can rebound, and I've got to go out and do that,” Wilson said after the game. “Obviously every game is not going to be a quality game, but just the mentality of being aggressive on the boards is definitely something I always want to have because it helps the team.”
Wilson assisted or scored on three of the Nets' opening four baskets on Saturday, with a layup after his transition after tripping up a Bam Adebayo pass, tearing up the court and receiving a return pass from D'Angelo Russell.
By halftime, Wilson had already compiled six assists.
He sparked two of his first-half baskets by Russell and Noah Clowney to pull the net within four after 24 minutes.
He knew the Nets would have to crash the boards with heat that starts both the 6-foot-9 Adebayo.
“When everyone rebounds, whether it's me, Ben [Simmons]Oh Noah, whatever it is because we get the rebound, we can come out and transition and start our offense.”
It was the third time in his NBA career with more than nine rebounds, but while at Kansas, Wilson's rebounding average jumped from 7.4 to 8.3 during his final college campaign in 2022-23.
The rebound instincts were always there.
They took a while to translate to his cameo, and now it's a minutes-long stretch, with curling.
But Wilson's progress has been on display since the NBA Summer League, when he was named MVP after collecting 21.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and an assist per game.
Those steps continued once the 2024-25 campaign arrived, including during his final start with Johnson sidelined after aggravating an ankle injury against the Knicks on Tuesday.
When the net fell to Al-Shabab at the end of last season under interim coach Kevin Ollie, Wilson took advantage.
That remained the case after Fernandes arrived and he emphasized a similar vision for the future – one concerned with the potential after the chaos of the rebuild subsides, after the future pieces of the Nets are assembled, after long-term roles become as clear as his own in the short term. The first term – while also not being punished for the present.
In just under two weeks, the starting spot could belong to Wilson — depending on whether the Nets deal Johnson and what their return package is.
But for now, he continues to make a case for being a piece of the Nets' future.
“What he does is something every team can benefit from,” Russell said Saturday. “I mean, he's a young player, but you ask the majority of teams in the league do they want him, I'm sure they will.
“He's just scratching the surface of what he can do.”
