When the Nets open Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets, they’ll do so with a reminder hanging over the franchise: it has been 20 seasons since Brooklyn had a player crack 2,000 points in a year.
That last name still carries plenty of weight. Vince Carter did it in 2006-07, piling up 2,070 points and turning in the best season he ever had in a Nets uniform.
He averaged 25.2 points across 82 games, and 25 of those outings ended with him scoring 30 or more. That year also brought an All-Star selection, a Player of the Week honor on Feb. 25 and Player of the Month recognition in April.
Carter’s production came with the kind of durability that makes the milestone possible. Reaching 2,000 points is a grind, not just a scoring feat.
A player who appears in all 82 games needs to average 24.4 points. If he misses 10 games, that number jumps to 27.8 points per game.
The Nets, then known as New Jersey, also rode Carter through a strong playoff run that spring. Brooklyn’s franchise history lists only two players - Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving - who could have joined that 2,000-point club if health had cooperated. Both were elite scorers, but neither lasted more than 60 games across their three seasons in Brooklyn.
Durant averaged 28.8 points with the Nets, while Irving posted 27.2. If they had stayed on the floor, Brooklyn could have had two 2,000-point scorers on the same roster, a rarity for any team. Instead, general manager Sean Marks broke up that trio after trading Durant, Irving and James Harden in 2023.
Since then, the Nets haven’t had another scorer who clearly fits that category. Michael Porter Jr. comes closest on paper after his career year, when he averaged 24.2 points as a No. 1 option but played only 52 games. He was dealing with a left hamstring strain and a right ankle sprain at the end of last season, and Brooklyn shut him down for the rest of the year.
Porter had been much sturdier in his final two seasons with the Denver Nuggets, playing 81 games and then 77, though he averaged 17.5 points in that stretch.
That’s the challenge staring at Brooklyn now: finding someone who can score at a truly elite level and stay on the floor long enough to make the math work. Marks has the draft capital to chase a superstar and tried to land Jaylen Brown this offseason, but the Boston Celtics sent him to the Philadelphia 76ers instead.
For now, Carter’s 20-season streak looks safe. It may stay that way unless Marks swings big for a true franchise scorer.
In Other News...
Nets Fans Will Be Watching One Thing In Mikel Brown Jr's Debut
The Nets are opening the 2026-27 season with a close eye on rookie point guard Mikel Brown Jr., whose debut is arriving with a built-in layer of caution. Brown has been working his way back from an ankle injury, and Brooklyn is expected to ease him into the rotation while he continues to rebuild his conditioning and settle into the pace of the NBA.
Jordi Fernndez has made it clear the plan is to take a measured approach with Browns early minutes, prioritizing health and long-term development over immediate load. For Nets fans, the biggest thing to track wont just be how Brown looks with the ball, but how quickly the team can let him grow into a larger role without rushing the process. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Fans Are Still Waiting For Their Rookie Backcourt Look
The early months of the Nets season have already put a temporary pause on one of the rosters most intriguing ideas. Mikel Brown Jr. is beginning the year off the bench, and Egor Demin will open games next to veteran guard Keon Ellis, even though Brown and Demin flashed real chemistry together in Summer League and during open runs.
For now, Brooklyn is still waiting to see that rookie backcourt take shape in regular-season action. Browns role is being managed as he comes back from an ankle issue, which has limited his minutes, and the bigger picture remains the same: the Nets want those two young guards to grow into a pairing that can share the floor more naturally as the season goes on. [Read more 🡒]
Egor Demin Faces One Big Test In Nets Sophomore Year
Egor Demin has spent the offseason and preseason looking like a different version of himself, at least physically, and the early signs have been encouraging for Brooklyn. The Nets guard has added noticeable strength, and both he and coach Jordi Fernandez have pointed to a more confident approach when he gets downhill and tries to get into the paint.
The real examination comes now, once the games start counting and defenders are set to meet him at the rim every night. Brooklyn wants Demin to keep building on that aggression, but the next step is learning how to turn those drives into efficient offense against bigger, stronger resistance, which is where his early progress will either stick or get exposed. [Read more 🡒]