Did the Brooklyn Nets Fail to 'Tank?'

The Brooklyn Nets are facing a bit of a dilemma with just four games left in the regular season. At 25-53, the Nets are certainly a lottery team, but they currently sit outside of the top five in odds with a 9.0% chance at the No. 1 overall pick, according to Tankathon.

Brooklyn has a boatload of draft picks for the next few years, including four first-round selections in 2025. That in itself is impressive, as the Nets haven't had a lottery pick since 2010 (Derrick Favors).

However, there's the lingering thought that the Nets could've been what more fans had hoped for: the favorite to land that top pick. The prized possession in the 2025 NBA Draft is Duke phenom Cooper Flagg, who just wrapped up an unbelievable freshman season. Brooklyn had the lowest win total projection at the start of the season, so the team was expected to land Flagg from the beginning. That has changed drastically up to this point.

It begs the question: did the Nets fail to tank? No group of players will purposefully drop games, but the idea of 'tanking' has become so recognizable among NBA fans that losing is celebrated to a certain extent.

Brooklyn has now become that team that celebrates losses for the bigger goal, but it started a little later than expected. The Nets were 9-11 through their first 20 games and in Play-In Tournament contention for the greater portion of the season, so there was the incentive to win under first-year head coach Jordi Fernandez. However, that was merely a fallacy that has come back to bite them with the season nearly over.

For that, the Nets did indeed fail to tank, unless they rise in the lottery. This year's draft boasts a deep class with generational talent across the board. However, Brooklyn could have had a better chance at the ultimate prize. It's yet to be seen.

Of course, the standings are not the deciding factor of the draft lottery. Just last season, the Atlanta Hawks, a Play-In team, managed to land the No. 1 pick. Who's to say Brooklyn doesn't get a little lottery luck and land a higher selection?

The only caveat is that the percentages help. The bottom three teams all have a 14.0% chance to land the No. 1 pick and a 52.1% chance at a top-four selection. Brooklyn has just a 37.2% chance to crack the top four.

The Nets can still sneak into the top five, but it'll be tough considering the Philadelphia 76ers hold a 2.5-game lead and have lost 12 in a row.