Louisville basketball has had a busy offseason, whether it was recruiting, the Transfer Portal, coaching changes, or former Cardinals trying to make the NBA. The Cardinals snapped multiple NBA Draft droughts this year, as 5-star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. and 4-star transfer Ryan Conwell were each drafted, marking the first time two Cardinals were drafted in the same year since 2015.
Brown was the start of the group, as the 5-star freshman was drafted No. 6 overall by the Brooklyn Nets. The former Cardinals spent just one year with Louisville, and while back injuries shortened it, Brown was an All-ACC guard and ultimately one of the first point guards drafted in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Now, Brown is going to be an immediate starter with the Nets, and in the latest Bleacher Report ranking, it proves the former Cardinal is going to have to pull his weight early.
Mikel Brown Jr. expected to be key starter for Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are coming off a 20-62 season, in which they finished last in the Atlantic and third-to-last in the East, and had the third-worst record in the NBA. The Nets have struggled for multiple years now, posting the sixth-worst record in the NBA in 2024-25, the fifth-worst record in the East in 2023-24, and not making the playoffs since the 2022-23 season.
Now, the Nets and their fans are hoping Brown can be the organization's future star point guard, and Bleacher Report’s recent ranking just put even more pressure on the No. 6 overall pick. Bleacher Report ranked all 30 teams' starting lineups in the NBA, and Brown and the Nets came in second-to-last at No. 29.
Bleacher Report has ranked Brooklyn at #29 in their latest rankings of NBA starting 5s entering this next season pic.twitter.com/tphqbd8n6C
— SleeperNets (@SleeperNets) July 31, 2026
The Nets being ranked No. 29 gives Brown a chance to really shine and grow this upcoming season, but also puts pressure on the rookie and No. 6 overall pick to help lead this team. The other four projected starters on the Nets include Egor Demin, Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle and Day'Ron Sharp.
Brown is coming off a year with Louisville, where he averaged 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Brown was a 5-star freshman who ranked No. 6 overall and No. 1 among point guards in the 2025 recruiting class.
In the NBA Summer League, he showed a lot of potential in the few games he played, averaging 15 points, 4.0 assists, and 1.2 steals in 21.7 minutes per game.
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