Rookie guard Mikel Brown Jr. provided one of the few positives for the Brooklyn Nets in their season-opening 110-103 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night. Brown, the Nets’ lottery pick, made his NBA debut after missing the early part of the preseason due to a rolled left ankle.

Brown was limited to just under 20 minutes off the bench, playing 19:48, and contributed six points, three rebounds, and three assists with only one turnover. After sitting out the first three preseason games and appearing briefly in the finale against Miami, the Nets managed his minutes cautiously as he regains full strength.

Brown scored his first NBA points on a strong driving layup and one free throw just over a minute into the game, attacking Hornets center Moussa Diabate. He displayed glimpses of confidence handling the ball and creating opportunities, including a behind-the-back assist to Julius Randle, who knocked down a three-pointer. However, Brown shot 2-of-8 overall and was sometimes rushed in his decision-making.

“Really just got to slow down, pick my spots better,” Brown said following the game. “I’ve been talking to Julius about it, just trying to slow down. Everything I want is there. It’s just all about me being patient… On the defensive end, just keeping that same mentality of not letting the guards touch the paint. There’s a lot of things that I can clean up. But it’s Game 1. We’re going to get better.”

Egor Dëmin, who started at point guard, struggled to convert when driving to the basket, showing some progress by getting into the paint but failing to make a significant impact. In contrast, Brown’s ability to attack downhill provided a promising alternative.

Other Nets contributions were limited. Nolan Traore scored three points but shot 0-for-4, with two turnovers and a minus-13 rating. Mo Wagner posted a team-worst minus-15 over nearly 16 minutes on the floor.

The Nets were without Tyler Bilodeau due to a right shoulder sprain. The Hornets also dealt with absences, as Kon Knueppel (hamstring strain), Coby White (calf strain), and Grant Williams (hamstring strain) did not play.

Despite the loss, the Nets will likely look to build slowly around Brown as he adjusts to the NBA pace and refines his game in the coming weeks.