The Brooklyn Nets head into the 2026-27 season with a fresh start in front of them, and there’s already a model for how to meet the moment sitting in the same building.
On Monday, the Nets joined most of the league for media day as training camp approached and preseason games drew near. The mood around Brooklyn is one of anticipation, with the franchise set to open another chapter after years spent near the bottom of the standings.
That backdrop makes the New York Liberty’s latest run especially relevant. On Tuesday night, the Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx 87-71 in Game 2 of their first-round series to advance to the WNBA semifinals. The result sent the team through as the No. 8 seed and, in the process, made history: it was the first time an eighth seed has knocked off a No. 1 seed in the WNBA playoffs.
The Liberty’s accomplishment is notable even with a championship already in their recent past, having won the title two seasons ago. Still, their postseason surge offers a useful example for the Nets as they prepare to begin their own season at Barclays Center.
Brooklyn is trying to climb back into competitive basketball after a long stretch of rebuilding. The roster may not be loaded with players who have deep postseason résumés together, but it does feature a group eager to change the conversation. The Nets have spent the offseason being overlooked, with little chatter about them as a 2027 playoff team.
A title run is not the expectation in Brooklyn right now. But in a crowded Eastern Conference, a playoff push is there to be had if things break right. The challenge will be staying steady through the inevitable bumps ahead and tuning out the noise.
The Liberty and the Nets are in very different places as October arrives. But the common thread is clear: both teams are stepping onto the floor with something to prove.
In Other News...
Nets Already Face An Early Mikel Brown Jr. Development Concern
Mikel Brown Jr. is already dealing with the kind of early camp hurdle that can slow a rookies momentum, as the Nets guard has been limited by a left ankle sprain. He is still around the action in a limited way, taking part in non-contact work while focusing on conditioning, which at least keeps him engaged as Brooklyn sorts through its early evaluation period.
For a team trying to build habits around a new group, every developmental rep matters, and Brown is not the only young player working through something. Nolan Traore is coming back from knee surgery and working to sharpen his jumper and finishing, while the larger rotation picture also includes Michael Porter Jr. entering a contract year and Julius Randle building trust with Jordi Fernandez. For Brown, the next step is simply getting healthy enough to reclaim the practice time he has already started to miss. [Read more 🡒]
Julius Randle Is Already Sending A Big Message About Brooklyn
The Nets are still living in the shadow of a championship drought that stretches back to their move into the NBA, and the sting of watching a city rival celebrate only sharpened that backdrop. Owner Joe Tsai has already made no secret of his frustration over the Knicks title run, which only adds more intrigue to a Brooklyn roster trying to reframe the conversation heading into the season.
Julius Randle is helping push that shift. The newly acquired forward, who comes over from the Knicks, has sounded confident about Brooklyns ability to contend and has praised the intensity he has seen in training camp. For a team looking to reset expectations, Randles belief in what the Nets can become might matter as much as anything else, especially if Brooklyn is going to turn noise from across the bridge into its own momentum. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Porter Jr. Faces A Bigger Nets Test Than Just Scoring
Michael Porter Jr. became extension-eligible with the Nets in July, but there still has not been any conversation about a new deal. For a Brooklyn team deep in a rebuild, that alone makes his season worth watching, because Porter Jr. is not just another scorer on the roster - he is one of the players whose growth could help define where the franchise is headed next.
Porter Jr. has already acknowledged he needs to improve as a winning player and bring more than offense, which lines up with what Sean Marks has been emphasizing from the front office. Consistency, defense, rebounding and leadership all matter here, and how Porter Jr. handles that challenge alongside Julius Randle will go a long way toward telling the Nets whether this pairing can become part of something bigger. [Read more 🡒]