Brooklyn Nets’ Defensive Turnaround: From Historically Bad to Quietly Formidable
At the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, the Brooklyn Nets weren’t just struggling on defense - they were flirting with historically bad territory. Through the first few weeks, opponents were lighting them up for 125.5 points per game, and their defensive rating of 126.6 had them on pace to set an all-time low. Only the Washington Wizards were worse, and that’s not exactly the kind of company you want to keep.
Fast forward to late December, and the conversation around Brooklyn’s defense has taken a sharp turn. The Nets are no longer the league’s doormat on that end of the floor. In fact, they’re starting to look like a team that’s figured out how to get stops - and that’s not just about facing a softer schedule.
Sunday’s 96-81 win over the Toronto Raptors was a prime example of how far this team has come. It was their fifth win in the last 10 games, and more importantly, marked the sixth time in eight December games that they held an opponent to 103 points or fewer. That’s not just improvement - that’s a team buying in.
Head coach Jordi Fernandez gave a nod to his staff for helping break down the defensive issues and rebuild the foundation. But he was quick to credit the players for doing the heavy lifting.
“When we had time to practice and watch film with the players and do their one-on-one work that they do, embracing the defensive end of the floor… we didn’t buy into a lot of things [earlier in the season],” Fernandez said postgame. “Obviously, we have evolved and made some adjustments, but now, it feels like we have a good rhythm with our physicality, with our communication.”
That rhythm is starting to show up in the numbers. After sitting 29th in the league defensively at the end of November, the Nets have climbed out of the bottom 10. And it’s not just incremental progress - their recent wins over Milwaukee and Toronto were two of the best defensive performances by any team this season.
The Raptors, for instance, managed just one second-chance point on Sunday - the fewest by any team in a game this year. That speaks directly to Brooklyn’s improvement on the glass, an area that was killing them early on. Rebounding may not always make the highlight reel, but it’s been a difference-maker for this squad.
Brooklyn’s turnaround hasn’t been about a single player or lineup change. It’s been about commitment - to film sessions, to one-on-one development, and to the kind of gritty, physical basketball that wins games when shots aren’t falling. That kind of cultural shift doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s clear the Nets are starting to build something more sustainable.
Of course, the real test is consistency. And the next challenge comes quickly - a road matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, who sit 12th in offensive rating and feature one of the league’s most dynamic backcourts in Tyrese Maxey and rookie standout VJ Edgecombe. That duo will put Brooklyn’s newfound defensive identity to the test.
But for now, there’s reason for optimism in Brooklyn. A team that looked lost on defense just a month ago is now playing with purpose, communication, and toughness. The Nets aren’t making headlines yet, but if this defensive trend continues, they might start turning some heads - and winning a lot more games.