Markel Brown's rough start

Markel Brown has had a rough start to his NBA career.  Over the summer, he broke his hand, but was ready for training camp and by most accounts doing well. Then, while on the China trip, he, like his coach and Kevin Garnett, was laid low by a stomach virus, missing the last three preseason games and a number of practices. Now, he's the only Net who hasn't played yet, declared inactive for each of the team's first six games.

And it doesn't sound like he's going to get minutes any time soon.

"He’s on the bottom of the totem pole, basically, and he’s got to work his way back up," Lionel Hollins said. "We haven’t had a lot of practices lately for him to one, get into condition again and to get aware of everything that we’re doing.

"When you’re out like that, there’s a lot of stuff going on, especially early in the season, a lot of changes that are being made, and a lot of add-ons. So and being a rookie on top of it, it’s tough."

The Nets have made a modest investment in Brown, paying $1.1 million for his draft rights and signing him to a two-year rookie minimum deal that's fully guaranteed this season and partially guaranteed next year, as long as he's on the roster. So he and they have time.

• Nets rewind: One rookie stars and one rookie sits - Tim Bontemps - New York Post