The Brooklyn Nets’ season may be decided less by the national spotlight and more by what happens inside the Atlantic Division.
That’s where the pressure starts for Jordi Fernandez’s group, a team trying to push itself back into the postseason for the first time since 2023 after spending recent years in a rebuild. Fernandez enters his third campaign at the helm with a roster that has a chance to be one of the league’s more surprising stories, but that only happens if Brooklyn can handle the games that matter most.
And in this division, there will be plenty of them. The Nets are set to play at least 16 games against Atlantic opponents, a slate that will test them early and often. The New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors each bring a different kind of problem, and every one of them opens the year believing a championship run is possible.
That makes life difficult for Brooklyn, but it also makes the path clear. If the Nets want to stay in the playoff race, or even keep themselves in the mix for a play-in spot, they have to make noise against the teams around them in the standings. In a brutal Eastern Conference, division games could go a long way toward separating the contenders from the group trying to keep pace.
Brooklyn can’t afford another division performance like the one it posted a season ago. The Nets went 3-13 against Atlantic opponents, the third-worst mark in those matchups, and finished ahead of only the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz in division competition.
Still, those same games can serve as the launch point for a better season. A few early wins against familiar opponents could give the Nets momentum and a stronger identity as they try to carve out a place in the East.
No one is asking Brooklyn to be perfect right away. But if this team wants to show it belongs in the conversation, it has to start by standing up in its own division.
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Nets Just Unveiled A Throwback Look Fans Are Already Loving
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Theres also a timing element that should make the rollout feel even bigger for fans, with the new uniform slated to arrive right as the season gets going and the team shows off a new court design. It adds another layer to an offseason that already changed the look of the roster, with Brooklyn bringing in Julius Randle, signing Keon Ellis and Moe Wagner, and drafting Mikel Brown Jr. with the No. 6 pick. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Fans Finally Have A Real Mikel Brown Jr. Question
Mikel Brown Jr. is finally at the point where the questions around him are less about whether he belongs and more about when Brooklyn will actually get to see him in uniform. The rookie point guard, the Nets highest draft pick of the Brooklyn era, will miss the teams third preseason game, but he has been fully involved in recent practices while continuing to learn Jordi Fernandezs system after flashing promise in Summer League.
For a Nets team trying to sort out its next backcourt, Browns development has been one of the more closely watched storylines of camp. Fernandez has already voiced optimism about Brown and fellow rookie Egor Demin as pieces of the teams future, and Browns next checkpoint is the one fans have been waiting for all along: his first preseason run, assuming there are no setbacks between now and then. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Unbeaten Start Faces A Bigger Test As Rotation Gets Stronger
The Nets head into Monday night with a little more of the look they expected when camp opened, as Michael Porter Jr. and Day'Ron Sharpe are set to rejoin the lineup after sitting out the previous preseason game. Brooklyn is 2-0 so far, and this matchup with Washington offers a better read on how the group fits when more rotation pieces are available and the minutes start to resemble something closer to the regular season.
Washington also comes in unbeaten, and the Wizards should have Khris Middleton and Tre Mann back after they missed their last game. Even with Tristan Vukcevic and Jamir Watkins still out, this is shaping up as a useful early test for both teams, especially for Brooklyn as it tries to keep building rhythm while getting healthier in key spots. [Read more 🡒]