The Brooklyn Nets are heading into the preseason with a real chance to flip the script.
For the past few seasons, Brooklyn has lived near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and spent plenty of time among the league’s worst teams. That’s the backdrop as this new campaign arrives, but the roster the Nets have assembled gives them a shot to start something different.
The external view hasn’t changed much yet, and that’s fair. Still, the moves Brooklyn made may have put the team in position to compete for a postseason spot. The East is expected to be deep, so nothing will come easy, but the Nets could be in that mix of teams fighting for a play-in berth.
If they miss out, it won’t be shocking. Given where the franchise has been, nobody would really fault them for that. But if Brooklyn winds up around the 25-win mark and near the bottom again, the offseason work and the growth of the young players won’t draw much praise.
The real shift would come if the Nets are competitive early and stay in the conversation for a play-in bid over the first few months of the season. That would change how people talk about the franchise, even if that outside perception isn’t the main thing driving a team in a rebuild. It would also feel like a payoff for the players and coaches after the last few years.
On paper, Brooklyn has the look of a young team that can be fun to watch, with veteran leadership to help it stay in the fight. If the Nets can stay relatively healthy, they should be able to compete night after night and even pull off a few surprises along the way.
There’s also the broader league picture to consider. With the new lottery format, there may not be many teams fully bottoming out, which could make the road tougher for Brooklyn. But that same reality could help the Nets’ young core, since they’ll have to battle every night without many easy spots on the schedule.
The focus has to stay internal. But if Brooklyn hits its own goals, the praise and the change in tone around the team should follow.
In Other News...
Nets Camp Battle Just Got More Serious With Two Young Pieces Limited
Jordi Fernandez has spent camp trying to keep the Nets competition level high, and Josh Minott has fit right into that tone. The coach praised Minotts work over the summer and into training camp, while Minott, who came over from Boston last year, said staying competitive has to be part of his career approach. For a Brooklyn roster still sorting out roles, those little things matter, especially when the margins are thin and every practice rep feels like it counts.
The challenge gets a little more complicated with a couple of young pieces not at full strength. Center Danny Wolf is planning to wear ankle braces this season after a previous sprain, and lottery pick Mikel Brown Jr. is still working his way back from an ankle injury. Brown also used Fan Fest to voice high expectations for the team, but the bigger question for Brooklyn is how quickly those young players can get on the floor and stay there as the battle for minutes tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Rookie Debut Suddenly Matters In A Rotation Battle
Cam Brown is moving closer to his first preseason appearance after rolling an ankle, and coach Fernandez said the Nets expect the rookie to play before camp ends. Brown has already advanced to contact drills, and he has been spending time on film work as he prepares for a debut that carries a little extra weight in Brooklyn, where he arrives as the highest draft pick of the teams Brooklyn era.
The timing matters because this roster has real competition for rotation spots, with a projected starting group in place and several players jockeying for second-unit minutes. Browns return will give Brooklyn another chance to evaluate where he fits in that mix, and whether his path to playing time can open quickly once the preseason games start to sharpen the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Porter Jr. Already Gave Nets Fans A Wild Off-Court Story
Michael Porter Jr. has already given Nets fans something to chew on before he has played a meaningful minute in Brooklyn, and it had nothing to do with shot-making or lineup fit. In a recent recounting, Porter said he nearly got arrested in Mexico two years ago after cannabis was found in his backpack on a flight to Cabo San Lucas, a situation that was only defused after a phone call from someone connected to his team or agent.
For a Nets club trying to move past a rough season, Porter is also projecting plenty of optimism about what comes next. He said he and Julius Randle could help lead Brooklyn to more than 50 wins this year, a bold forecast for a team that needs more than confidence to change its direction. The off-court anecdote may grab the attention first, but the bigger question for Nets fans is whether Porter can back up the belief once the games begin. [Read more 🡒]