Michael Porter Jr. thinks the Nets need more than talent and patience if they want to feel at home in Brooklyn. They need their crowd back.
Porter said opposing fans have been turning the Nets’ building into a road environment, and he pointed to a recent preseason game against Philadelphia as the clearest example.
“We just played a preseason game the other night against Philly. You would’ve thought we were in Philly,” Porter said, via NBACentral.
He kept going, making it clear the issue is bigger than one night.
“We gotta get the Brooklyn Nets fans back in there and actually being louder than the opposing team. When we play Knicks, Celtics, Philly, Lakers, it’s mostly their fans. It’s crazy.”
That’s a rough look for a team still working its way out of a rebuild. Brooklyn went 20-62 last season, and that kind of record doesn’t exactly pack the building or give home fans many reasons to raise the noise level.
Porter was one of the few bright spots. He posted a career-best 24.4 points per game, giving the Nets real production even as the losses piled up. Brooklyn also brought in Julius Randle, giving coach Jordi Fernandez another proven scorer to work with on a roster that’s still taking shape.
Randle has already said he expects Brooklyn to compete, not drift through another season near the bottom of the standings. Porter’s comments suggest he’d welcome a home crowd that sounds like it’s on the team’s side for once.
The Nets still have to earn that kind of support, though. Winning changes the atmosphere fast, and that’s the easiest way to make those visiting jerseys a lot less noticeable.
Fans of the Knicks, Celtics, Sixers and Lakers will keep showing up. Brooklyn just needs to give them less to celebrate.
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The rise comes at exactly the right time for a player trying to carve out a larger role, because the front office now has a decision to make on his future with the team. External analysts have also been encouraged by the way Clowney has looked, noting both his potential and the way he fits with Brooklyns plans, which makes the next step feel like more than just a routine roster call. [Read more 🡒]