By Eddie Castro

The Brooklyn Nets heading into the 2025-26 campaign knew it was going to be another rebuilding year in hopes of better days ahead for the franchise. A team that doesn’t necessarily have much talent on the roster but have a few players that can go out and get you a bucket or two.

In his second season as Head Coach, Jordi Fernandez has cultivated a positive culture which was needed for the team, especially with the current roster mostly being filled with young inexperienced players. After beginning the season with a win-loss record of 4-16 in their first 20 games, Brooklyn appears to have found some chemistry that Coach Fernandez was hoping for.

Since the 20-game stretch, the Nets have won seven of their last ten games and are currently on their first three-game win streak of the year as we go to press. The question now is what has clicked for this Nets team of late?

For starters, Brooklyn’s recent turnaround is primarily due to their strong efforts on defense. In the month of December, the Nets ranked No.1 in the NBA in defensive rating and have allowed the fewest points per game. (103.1). On offense, forward Michael Porter Jr. And Nic Claxton are having fantastic years thus far.

Porter Jr. Has played like a certified All-Star in his first year with Brooklyn averaging 25.8 points per game and 27 points per game in his last seven games. Porter Jr. Was traded to Brooklyn from Denver for Cam Johnson during the summer. It’s truly remarkable to see what we have witnessed what Porter Jr is doing for his talents seem to have been overshadowed by former teammate Nikola Jokic, who continues to put up video game-like numbers every night.

In Brooklyn, Porter Jr. got his fresh start and his own stage to finally display his talents when healthy and display what he has done. Claxton has been with the Nets since he was drafted 31st overall in the 2019 NBA draft. This year without question has been his best year with consistent play on both the offense and defensive sides of the ball.

His significant growth has finally come into fruition as he has showed improvement self-creating and passing which has led to a high increase in assists and a lower turnover margin. He (Claxton) is now a more confident driver and finisher at the rim. His versatility his really been a big help for not only his development but for the team as well.

With happier days flourishing all over the downtown Brooklyn area, the big question is can the Nets continue to play this well? I don’t see why not. The team just got back another certified scorer back from injury in Cam Thomas who will most definitely add a scoring punch alongside Porter Jr. And Claxton. The team’s numerous draft picks and young players are now making great contributions, a testament to General Manager’s Sean Marks’ focus on drafting and development.

The playoffs may be out of reach for Brooklyn, but this healthy combination of youth and veterans on this team could make for not only and enticing end of the year, but something Nets fans could look forward to. The youth movement is just the beginning for Brooklyn as they currently have a significant haul of first-round draft picks over the next seven drafts (2026-2032).

The team is also projected to have about $15 million in cap space which means signing a high-value free agent could definitely be in the cards as well. We shall see what this Brooklyn team is made of as we go into 2026.

Sports Notes: (Football) The regular season will come to and end this weekend and unfortunately, there will be no playoffs for our beloved Jets and Giants. The Jets will wrap up their regular season this Sunday in Buffalo against divisional opponent the Buffalo Bills. The Jets currently stand at No.3 in the draft order. The Giants will put their own bow on their season at home against the Dallas Cowboys. With the Giants win last week, they no longer hold the No.1 overall pick in the draft order.

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