The Nets have fallen to an 0-4 record since the end of the All-Star Break, with a clear indication that they have no signs of being playoff contenders come the end of the regular season. With the multitude of moves they have made at the trade deadline, the Nets intend to build towards their future rather than compete for a championship now. Their recent record shows that the Nets are in need of an offensive superstar and that they cannot compete against the rest of the league with the roster they have now.
On February 24th, the Nets suffered their biggest loss of the season against the Chicago Bulls in a 131-87 loss. This was their biggest loss of the season since their loss against the Boston Celtics on February 1st in a 139-96 defeat. This loss has been their biggest margin so far, losing by 44 points, trailing by as much as 50 points early in the fourth quarter.
Zach LaVine and the Bulls were able to clear a six-game losing streak with their win over the Nets in remarkable fashion. They were cold when it came to shooting the ball, shooting 37% and 27% from the 3-point line. The Nets took a hard loss and that lack of a superstar clearly showed that night.
Cam Thomas had 22 points off the bench shooting 3-6 from the 3-point line, along with Seth Curry helping carry the offense off the bench with 19 points, shooting 8-11 from the field. Mikal Bridges had 13 points, with Cam Johnson putting up 10 points on an abysmal 4-13 shooting from the field.
LaVine was able to lead the Bulls to victory with his 32 points and six rebounds, shooting 4-6 from the 3-point line. DeMar DeRozan had 17 points, and Patrick Williams put up 17 points, while Andre Drummond had 13 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. The Bulls' starters all had a plus/minus of at least +24 which showcased their dominance on the floor that night.
The Nets could not close out against the Atlanta Hawks on February 26th, as Trae Young hit a buzzer beater to send the Hawks home with a 129-127 win. As Cam Johnson tied the game at 127 with a 3-pointer, the Hawks had possession of the ball with 7.3 seconds left on the clock. Young drove towards the left elbow, pump-faked the ball which sent Bridges flying, and knocked down the 2-point jump shot despite some coverage by Dinwiddie.
It was a close game all throughout, with the Nets opening the second-half with a 5-point lead over the Hawks, but they had to put in extra work in the fourth quarter to catch up to a growing lead by the Hawks. The Nets failed to send the game to overtime after the basket by Young.
Johnson led the Nets in points with 27, with Bridges behind him with 24, and Spencer Dinwiddie with 20 points. Thomas put up another +20 point game off the bench with 22 points but the Nets slipped away from victory despite the offense stepping up against the Hawks.
For the Hawks, Young put up 34 points and eight assists, and Dejounte Murray was able to garner 28 points and shoot 4 of 7 from the 3-point line. Bogdan Bogdanovic was able to do damage to the Nets off the bench with 22 points on 7 of 11 shooting, along with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.
The Nets were able to give the Milwaukee Bucks their 15th straight win on February 28th as Giannis Antetokounmpo made his return since suffering a right quad contusion against the Miami Heat last Friday. The Nets were able to grab a 62-52 lead heading into halftime, but were completely dominated by the Bucks as they outscored the Nets 66-42 in the second-half.
Bridges did his best with a 10-0 scoring run of his own to try and carry the Nets. Bridges managed to take the lead midway through the third quarter, but his offensive run could not rub off onto the rest of the team as Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday were able to gain back their lead over the Nets and ultimately take control for the rest of the game.
Antetokounmpo came back to play at an MVP level, putting up 33 points, 14 rebounds and four assists, showing no signs of slowing down for him or the Bucks. Brook Lopez had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Jrue Holiday had 14 points and eight assists. Off the bench, Khris Middleton was able to put up 18 points, six assists and four steals.
The Nets could not get it done on Wednesday against the New York Knicks as all hope was lost midway through the first quarter, being taken down 142-118. The Nets were down 47-29 as Jalen Brunson and the Knicks were able to cruise past the Nets. Brunson scored 30 points in the first half alone, showing no mercy towards the Nets throughout the game as he put on an offensive clinic.
The Knicks hit 10 of their first 13 shots, going 6-7 from the 3-point line to lead by double digits in the first quarter. The Knicks were able to end the quarter shooting 78.3% from the field and 81.8% from 3. They were able to carry this momentum to take over the rest of the game and left no room for a comeback for the Nets.
Johnson led the Nets in points against the Knicks with 33 points, Bridges with 21 points, and Thomas with 15 points off the bench.
Brunson totaled 39 points on 15-18 shooting from the field and 5-6 from the 3-point line, with Quentin Grimes behind him with 22 points and 6-9 shooting from the 3-point line. Julius Randle had 21 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, Mitchell Robinson put up 13 points on 6-6 shooting from the field along with 10 rebounds and R.J Barrett had 15 points, as all Knicks starters were each in double-digits in scoring.
Final. pic.twitter.com/t7V01kMiFO
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 2, 2023
It is very clear that the Nets are in rebuilding mode and have no All-Star caliber superstar to help get them through this season. While they do have Ben Simmons, he is not very known as an offensive juggernaut and while his passing can help space the floor, he is a liability to them due to his history of injuries.
While the Nets are currently placed 6th in the Eastern Conference, it won’t be too long till their standing drops to below the 8th seed and that if they are lucky, the Nets will be in the play-in come the end of April.
The best thing the Nets can do now is put this season in the books and to focus on the future. While trading Simmons can be a viable option, he is still owed $78.2 million over the next two seasons and that he holds no trade value according to BleacherReport. The Nets might just have to bite the bullet over the next few seasons and start to think on how they can create a franchise out of their picks in the future.
