Like their summer, the Brooklyn Nets' start to the 2022-23 season has been a tumultuous ride. From Steve Nash's firing to Kyrie Irving's suspension to Ben Simmons' early struggles, it was not an exaggeration to say you could not have scripted a worse open to the year.

However, the Nets have found success as of late, winning four of their last six games. With Irving suspended, several young role players have stepped in and exceeded expectations over the recent stretch. Among those pleasant surprises are Edmond Sumner and Yuta Watanabe.

Edmond Sumner

Edmond Sumner has started all six games in place of Kyrie Irving, averaging 10.5 points on 9-of-22 (40.9 percent) shooting from three over the span. The 26-year-old signed with the Nets on a partially-guaranteed minimum contract this summer after missing all of last season in Indiana with a torn Achilles.

Sumner scored nine points on 3-of-3 shooting in the first quarter of a 112-85 rout of the New York Knicks last week. The Xavier product finished the game with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field.

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“It’s honestly just trusting it,” Sumner said of his recent shot-making after missing all of last season. “When you’re out there and you’re missing shots or you’re not doing accustomed to doing, that’s very frustrating. But with me, it’s just kind of sticking to the positive, knowing I put in all the hard work to get back to this opportunity and with the constant reps and staying in the gym I knew I was gonna overcome. Knowing my role also. Not trying to do much, but also knowing you got to go out there and be aggressive.”

The former second-round pick's aggressive shot creation has provided a much-needed offensive lift with teams relentlessly double-teaming Kevin Durant. At 6'4″ with a 6'8″ wingspan, the insertion of Sumner's hard-nosed defense to the backcourt has also coincided with a defensive resurgence for Brooklyn. The Nets have posted the league's best defensive rating over their last six games.

“Honestly, I think it’s just playing harder,” Sumner said of Brooklyn's defensive improvement last week. “Schemes are still the same, we’re doing the exact same stuff. I just feel like we’re really covering for each other. If I get beat off the bounce, I know somebody is right there to pick me up, I’ll bounce off and roll to the other guy. So I feel like we’re really just coming together. We’re a lot more games in and we’re willing to sacrifice, so we’re really trusting guys more.”

Yuta Watanabe

For his part, Yuta Watanabe has quickly become a fan favorite in his first year with the Nets. The fifth-year forward has carved out a valuable two-way role as one of Brooklyn's top defenders while shooting 50 percent from three on 2.2 attempts per game. Watanabe signed with Brooklyn this summer on a non-guaranteed minimum contract.

The 28-year-old played the last two seasons with the Toronto Raptors, averaging 4.3 points on 37.3 percent shooting from three in just 13.3 minutes per game. Watanabe's relentless defensive activity on and off the ball has been refreshing for a Brooklyn team that has struggled with effort on that end in recent years.

The Japanese prospect missed two games last week after spraining his ankle in a loss at Dallas Monday. Watanabe returned Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers and continued to provide a spark off the bench, scoring 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting while grabbing five rebounds. The first-year Net should remain a fixture in Brooklyn's rotation given his high-level three and D play.

The Nets will need both Edmond Sumner and Yuta Watanabe to sustain their production with Kyrie Irving suspended and Ben Simmons struggling while battling a knee ailment. Brooklyn sits at 6-8 following a loss to the Lakers Sunday. Jacque Vaughn's squad will look to build upon recent success as they wrap up a four-game West Coast trip in Sacramento and Portland early this week.