Brooklyn Nets' Winning Formula Highlights Unexpected Factor

The month of January was rough for the Brooklyn Nets. They had just parted ways with Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith — two of the teams' key veterans — and secured just three victories with an injury-depleted roster through the first 31 days of 2025.

February has been a sharp contrast in almost every facet. Miraculously, while remaining without Cam Thomas and Noah Clowney, the Nets have completely turned things around. Brooklyn has doubled its win total from January through just 13 days of Feburary behind its gritty, equal opportunity approach.

But the recent hot stretch features an eye-popping statistic: of the six wins the Nets have picked up since Jan. 29, Jordi Fernandez's rotation has generated a 20-point scorer only three times.

Ziaire Williams' 21 against the Rockets on Feb. 1, Keon Johnson's 22 against the Rockets on Feb. 4 and D'Angelo Russell's 22 in last night's matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers.

While Thomas continues to sit and Cam Johnson works his way back to form, there isn't a true alpha on Brooklyn's offensive front. However, there hasn't been a need for one.

Through Fernandez's masterful year one at the Nets' helm, a balanced offensive attack compounded with fantastic defense has brought the team back from the bottom realm of the Eastern Conference to just a game-and-a-half back of a play-in spot.

It's entirely possible this approach is a temporary one. With Thomas and Clowney on the mend, their returns are expected to bolster Brooklyn's scoring output. It seems like a distant memory considering the former hasn't suited up but twice since late November, but the 23-year-old guard is averaging nearly 25 points per game on the 2024-25 campaign.

The eye-popping statistic, while impressive, may say more about the Nets' lead man than it does the roster itself. Fernandez has now proven time and again he can do more with less. Whether portrayed through the recent winning streak or earlier in the season through the "next man up mentality," the rookie head coach can will his group to victory regardless of the circumstance.

The future is bright in Brooklyn. The right coach is finally in place, and he has an opportunity to hoist this young group to the postseason in his first year leading the Nets' sideline.