The Brooklyn Nets can talk all they want about a 2027 postseason push, but the real swing factor might be hiding in plain sight: rebounding.
Brooklyn has spent the last three seasons in the league’s tanking tier, and now the focus shifts toward competing in 2027. That outlook is helped by the fact that the Houston Rockets control Brooklyn’s first-round pick next year, but the Nets still have enough talent to chase a play-in spot in the East. The question is whether they can clean up one of their most persistent problems.
Last season, rebounding was a clear weak point. The Nets finished 19th in defensive rebound rate and 25th in offensive rebound rate, which put them near the bottom of the league without quite sinking to the very end. That kind of profile usually doesn’t get better on its own, especially after losing a starting center in the offseason.
There are reasons to think Brooklyn could improve a little. Julius Randle’s arrival should help, and Day’Ron Sharpe is expected to move into a full-time starting role.
Even so, the Nets still look like a team that could struggle to hold its own on the glass. Moe Wagner might help there too, but his ability to stay on the floor and play meaningful minutes remains a major question.
The numbers from last season make the concern hard to ignore. In 2025-26, 19 of the 20 teams that reached the postseason finished in the top 18 in either defensive rebounding or offensive rebounding percentage.
The only postseason team that missed both marks was the LA Clippers, and they lost in the 9-10 play-in game. On top of that, every team that finished in the top 20 in both categories made the postseason.
That’s why rebounding feels so central to Brooklyn’s outlook. The organization is still in development mode, building around this core and laying groundwork for the future. But the play-in is there for the taking, and the Nets’ chances of getting there may come down to how well they perform on the boards.
Brooklyn isn’t at the point where it can go all-in on rebounding as a roster-building priority. Even so, next season’s results will likely rise and fall with that familiar battle under the rim.
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