The Brooklyn Nets get a chance to reset quickly after a rough night against the Dallas Mavericks, and they’ll need it. Brooklyn was out of sync on both ends in that loss, with Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg controlling the game. After two nights off following back-to-back road games, the Nets should at least have fresher legs when they meet the New Orleans Pelicans.
That doesn’t mean the matchup gets any easier. New Orleans comes in with its own uneven stretch, but the Pelicans already showed what they can do when they get rolling, winning four straight before dropping into a three-game skid.
Brooklyn, meanwhile, is still searching for the kind of cohesion that turns flashes into something more reliable. The recent home win over the Charlotte Hornets offered some of that, but consistency is still the big issue.
A lot of that burden falls on Julius Randle, and the fit is still a work in progress. At times, he’s settling for too many 3-pointers when the pass doesn’t arrive cleanly, rather than putting the ball on the floor and attacking downhill. The shot is useful, but it isn’t the strongest part of his game.
Brooklyn can help him by making the floor easier to read. More cutting from Michael Porter Jr., Nolan Traore and Mikel Brown Jr. would open things up. Traore and Brown are primarily on-ball players, and they’re clearly working to sharpen that side of their game, but both have the finishing touch and instincts to be more dangerous when they slip to the rim or move off ball screens.
There have also been some encouraging possessions with Randle and Danny Wolf sharing the floor. The two have started to show better chemistry, and their skill sets could fit together nicely as they get more comfortable. Both can put pressure on the rim and push in transition, which should create cleaner looks for themselves and for everyone around them.
Still, Brooklyn’s biggest challenge may come on the defensive end, especially out on the perimeter. New Orleans has three players averaging at least 15 points per game, and even if the Nets can limit Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III off the dribble, there’s still plenty of firepower behind them. Saddiq Bey, Jeremiah Fears, Dejounte Murray and Derik Queen all add to the pressure, and they’ll be looking to take advantage of the space Williamson and Murphy create.
That leaves the Nets with a major assignment on the wings. Against a Pelicans group with that much depth, Brooklyn’s perimeter defense is going to be tested hard.
In Other News...
Nets Suddenly Face A Huge Michael Porter Jr. Decision
Michael Porter Jr. has given Brooklyn plenty to think about this season, and not just because of what he has done on the floor. The forward is producing at a high level, averaging 21.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, which only sharpens the question facing the Nets as the season moves toward the trade deadline.
ESPNs projection that Porter could be moved before Feb. 11 adds another layer to a situation Brooklyn cannot ignore. He is in a contract year, and the financial path changes depending on whether he stays put or gets dealt, leaving the Nets with a major roster and salary decision to sort through in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Jordi Fernndez Just Put Brooklyn's Biggest Early Problem In Focus
The early-season picture has gotten a little clearer for Jordi Fernndez, and not in the way the Nets wanted. After back-to-back losses to Atlanta and Dallas, the coach pointed to the same themes over and over: turnovers, defensive breakdowns and a level of inconsistency that has made it hard for Brooklyn to sustain any momentum from one game to the next. He singled out the fourth quarter against Atlanta as a problem area and said the defensive issues against Dallas were part of a broader pattern the team has to clean up.
Fernndez did not sound interested in overhauling the way Brooklyn is playing, even with the losses piling up. He praised some individual performances and framed the issue less as a need for a new identity than for sharper execution within the one the Nets are already trying to build. For a team still trying to settle in, the concern is less about one bad night than about how quickly these small mistakes can start to define the bigger picture. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Already Face A Young Roster Test They Can't Ignore
The early-season bumps have already started to feel familiar for Brooklyn, and Mo Wagner did not sugarcoat why. After the loss to the Mavericks, the forward pointed to the growing pains that come with a young roster trying to settle into new roles, a process that has made the Nets look out of sync at times and has helped turn a few winnable games into missed chances.
Wagner said the answer has to start with honest self-evaluation, both from the group and from each player individually, as Brooklyn tries to clean up its response after the back-to-back loss to Dallas. For a team still trying to establish its identity, those lessons can arrive quickly in October and November, and the Nets are already being forced to confront them. [Read more 🡒]