Michael Porter Jr. didn’t need much time in Brooklyn to notice something was off at Barclays Center.
In his first season with the Nets, he said the building has often sounded more like a visiting team’s home court than Brooklyn’s own arena. During last Thursday’s preseason home opener, Porter said more Philadelphia 76ers fans were in attendance than Nets fans, a jarring scene even with Philadelphia bringing a star-studded starting lineup and LeBron James making his debut with his new squad.
That, Porter said, has become part of the problem for Brooklyn. When the Lakers, Knicks and Celtics come to town, their fans routinely take over large portions of the arena.
Those are three of the league’s most iconic franchises, and with New York and Boston close to Barclays Center, the influx of visiting supporters is no surprise. Los Angeles is farther away, but Porter’s point was clear: Nets fans need to reclaim the building.
The 28-year-old said he wants Brooklyn fans back in the arena and louder than the opposition.
That kind of atmosphere, though, usually follows wins. The Nets missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and finished 20-62 last season, and Porter knows what losing can do to a fan base. He said poor team performance affected him personally, too, even to the point of losing motivation to work out in the gym after being snubbed from the All-Star game because the team wasn’t winning and wasn’t trending toward the postseason.
Porter put together a career year anyway, averaging 24.2 points on 36.3% from three and 7.1 rebounds, but even that wasn’t enough to land him an All-Star berth.
Brooklyn’s larger challenge is hardly limited to Porter’s experience. Fans have watched the Knicks rise to the top, with New York claiming the Larry O'Brien trophy for the first time in over 50 years after beating the San Antonio Spurs in five games behind Jalen Brunson’s clutch fourth-quarter performances. Nets owner Joe Tsai called it an embarrassment to see a rival win the NBA Finals, while Brooklyn continued down the path of back-to-back tanking seasons and lottery picks.
General manager Sean Marks has tried to change the outlook by adding more young talent and some veteran help. He drafted Mikel Brown Jr. with the sixth pick and traded for Julius Randle the night before the NBA Draft.
Brown gave Brooklyn a glimpse of that future in Wednesday’s preseason game against the Miami Heat, finishing with 15 points, three assists and three rebounds.
Randle’s arrival has also given the offense a different feel. His playmaking has helped push the pace, and the numbers back that up: the Nets averaged 12.3 fast-break points last season, 27th in the league, and have jumped to 17.8 this preseason.
For Porter, though, the equation is simple. Brooklyn has to win first. Only then will Barclays Center start sounding like home again.
In Other News...
Mikel Brown Jr. Just Gave The Nets A Real Rotation Decision
The preseason ended on a sour note for Brooklyn with a 144-128 loss to Miami, but rookie guard Mikel Brown Jr. gave the Nets something to think about before the games start counting. Brown was back on the floor after missing time with a sprained left ankle, and in 18 minutes he looked active and involved, giving Brooklyn a small reminder that there may be more to the back end of the rotation than the usual early-season assumptions suggest.
Head coach Jordi Fernndez came away encouraged by Browns communication and engagement, even as he had sharp words for the bigger picture after the game. Brooklyns defense was sloppy enough to draw his frustration, and with the preseason now finished at 3-1, the Nets head into the regular season with one young guard making a case for minutes and a team still trying to clean up the details that were exposed in Miami. [Read more 🡒]
Sean Marks Just Put One Big Expectation On A Key Nets Scorer
Brooklyns first preseason loss arrived after a 3-0 start, and even in defeat there were a few encouraging signs for the Nets to build on. Michael Porter Jr. led the way with 27 points, while Moritz Wagner gave the second unit a lift with 15 points off the bench, adding the kind of energy and floor spacing teams hope to see from a new piece in camp.
Still, the night also fit into a bigger conversation about what Brooklyn needs from Porter beyond scoring. Sean Marks made it clear the Nets want him to grow into a more complete player, with defense and rebounding part of the equation as he settles into a larger role. For a team trying to set standards early in the preseason, that expectation may end up mattering as much as any hot shooting night. [Read more 🡒]
Nolan Traore Is Giving Nets Fans A Real Rotation Debate
Nolan Traore has done enough in preseason to make the Nets backcourt picture a little less tidy than it looked a week ago. With roles still shifting and playing time changing from game to game, Traore has stood out alongside Noah Clowney as one of the young players giving Brooklyn something to think about before the season fully settles in.
What makes Traores case more interesting is that he has produced while not exactly being given a long runway to do it. The Nets still have more pieces to sort through, and another highly touted rookie is looming as a factor once he gets on the floor, which only raises the question of how much room there really is for Traore to keep carving out minutes. [Read more 🡒]