​NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets (2-0) had to feel good about themselves following their dominant win over the Charlotte Hornets earlier this week, especially as they look to exceed the low expectations that most around the league have for them. Brooklyn’s biggest test of the preseason came on Thursday against LeBron James and the visiting Philadelphia 76ers (1-1) and the Nets managed to step up for an encouraging victory.The Netsbeat the 76ers114-108 on Thursday in a contest where Philadelphia played its projected starters for the first half before sitting most of them in the second half. Forward Julius Randle had 14 points and six rebounds while trying to make up for the offensive void left by Michael Porter Jr.’s absence and guard Egor Demin had 13 points and five assists.Brooklyn seemed to struggle in the first half with guarding Philadelphia’s fast-paced offense with LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey leading the way, but they recovered in the second half. The Nets have made it clear that they are trying to win more games than most are expecting from them and this preseason has been a great start for one of the youngest teams in the league.Here are three takeaways for the Nets following Thursday’s win over the 76ers:Julius Randle Is Ready To Impact Both Ends Of The FloorRandle had to assume more of the offensive workload for the Nets with Michael Porter Jr. out of the lineup for this game and he understandably struggled to be efficient under those circumstances. However, Randle eventually found his rhythm on the offensive end and was able to get to the free-throw line while being a pest on the defensive end of the court.Egor Demin Could Be Close To Putting It AltogetherSince the end of last season, one of the most interesting aspects of Demin was his potential to be an impactful offensive player outside of just his shooting and this summer gave Nets fans a glimpse into what looks like. Since the summer league, Demin has been able to show his ability to get into the paint and it seems like it’s only a matter of time before he’s doing that and shooting the three-pointer at an above-average rate.Keon Ellis Could Be Poised For A BreakoutSince Ellis came into the NBA, he has been heralded as a solid defensive player with the upside of being one of the better 3-and-D wings if enough variables went his way in his development. Through two games in the preseason, Ellis is not only being the point of attack defender that the Nets have been looking for, but it seems like he’s able to scale up his offensive game when the moment calls for it.This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: 3 Nets takeaways from 114-108 preseason win over Jaylen Brown, 76ers