Julius Randle isn’t buying the idea that the Brooklyn Nets are headed for a forgettable season.
The team’s newest star sees something much bigger. According to NetsDaily’s Connor Long, Randle said Brooklyn is ready to blow past the outside noise and play at a high level from the start.
“Exactly that,” Julius Randle said, according to NetsDaily's Connor Long. “Whatever your expectations are, whatever expectations that are put upon us, we’re gonna exceed them and we’re gonna do things at a very high level. We’re gonna build, come in with the right habits every single day, and we’re gonna do exactly that.”
That kind of confidence matters, especially with Randle joining forces with Michael Porter Jr. Both players can put up big numbers in a hurry, and together they give Brooklyn a far more dangerous offensive foundation than it had a year ago.
Randle also made it clear he’s not just focused on the top of the roster. He had plenty to say about the Nets’ younger group, singling out Egor Demin, Mikel Brown Jr. and Joshua Jefferson.
“Egor, Mikel, Joshua, all those guys, like extremely, extremely hard workers,” Randle said. “Attention to detail, but just really, really hard workers.
Competition level is really high. Whether it’s, you know, playing one-on-one or we’re in a shooting drill, whatever, like everything is done, you know, at game speed.
Attention to detail. Smart, high-IQ basketball players.”
Brooklyn is better than it was last season, even if the roster makeover came with a price. The Nets sent out Nic Claxton in the deal that brought Randle to Brooklyn.
Still, Randle’s game gives Porter a familiar kind of partner. Last season, Porter was able to coexist with Claxton, and Randle believes the fit with Porter can be just as smooth, only in a different way.
"It's going to be great," Randle said. "We're two completely different players as far as style of play, and I think we actually complement each other very well.
I can do a lot with the ball off the dribble, creating, and he's a great catch-and-shoot guy. He can really space the floor, so I think we'll complement each other very well."
That’s the upside Brooklyn is banking on. Randle can attack downhill, stretch the floor and create shots for others, all of which should make the offense look a lot cleaner.
The concern, though, is still sitting on the other end. Rim protection remains a question, and the Nets are still light underneath the basket.
So while the ceiling may not rise much beyond a play-in spot, Randle’s presence could still make this a meaningful year for Brooklyn if he becomes the veteran voice this locker room needs and helps push the young players forward.
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The exercise is especially relevant now because commissioner Adam Silver has recently spoken about the possibility of expansion, including the kind of new-market buzz that comes with cities like Las Vegas. For Brooklyn, the challenge would not just be losing a player, but deciding which pieces are truly worth shielding when the bigger goal is to keep the rebuild moving without getting caught flat-footed if the league adds another team or two. [Read more 🡒]
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The Clippers push to force their way into the elite, including the aggressive pursuit of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, was framed as the kind of win-now move that can look bold in the moment and messy later on. Joey Linn also reported that the Lakers comparison helped fuel some questionable thinking around salary cap rules, which makes the warning relevant in Brooklyn too: chasing status in a rivals market can lead a team to decisions it may regret long after the spotlight fades. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Face A Defining Choice With No Clear Franchise Star
The Nets are heading into next season with a roster that does not yet feature an obvious franchise centerpiece, and that alone puts a different kind of pressure on Brooklyns front office. With the team projected to sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and its first-round pick tied up by a swap right owned by Houston, the usual incentives around simply waiting for the draft are not there in the same way.
That leaves the organization weighing a more aggressive path, one that would involve using its flexibility to chase a star through the trade market and give the roster a better chance to get back to the postseason. There is some protection in the setup, too, since the Nets have room to maneuver on contracts and limited downside if the year goes sideways, but the bigger question is whether they decide this is the moment to act or another season to keep building. [Read more 🡒]