In a conference of directionless franchises, the Nets may be leading the pack. They have a slew of recent draft picks, limited veteran leadership, and a recent history that would suggest ownership doesn’t know what they are doing. Since the Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving duo broke up two years ago, the Nets have been in a free fall with no real way of catching their footing.
This was apparent last season, as they never even sniffed playoff hopes, nor presented as a competent team. This was partially due
to a plethora of injuries they sustained, but the roster at full health was never a playoff roster to begin with. It is never easy to coach in a situation like that, but with five 2025 first-round picks, new pieces, and just 58 wins in two seasons, head coach Jordi Fernandez is probably coaching for his job in 2026.
Brooklyn Nets: Over/Under 20.5 Wins (-110/-110)
Last Season: 26-56
Additions: Michael Porter Jr., Nolan Traore, Danny Wolf, Ben Saraf, Haywood Highsmith
Losses: Ben Simmons, Cameron Johnson, D’Angelo Russell
The bad news: they have been losing wins each of the last four seasons. The good news: they have a lot of new faces. I do not claim to be an expert, but I watched a lot of the new faces in person at the Las Vegas summer league this year. Unfortunately, new does not necessarily mean good, and from a brief watch, the Nets’ draft picks looked underwhelming.
Brooklyn’s situation is simple: they have a collection of guys who do not really fit and no real incentive to win. It’s going to be a nightly barrage of jumpers from Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas, with a lot of sloppy basketball from rookies and younger role players. They ranked third-to-last in offensive rating last year under Fernandez, and, even in a weak Eastern Conference, that will not cut it. This is going to be one of the uglier years in recent memory for an NBA team.
