How the Nets Can Outperform Bleacher Report's Prediction

With the NBA's preseason just around the corner, the time has arrived for preseason power rankings and predictions from major media outlets.

That includes Bleacher Report, which released its preseason NBA power rankings and record predictions for all 30 teams. And they weren't very high on the Brooklyn Nets.

Bleacher Report has the Nets going 26-56 this season, and they have Brooklyn at 29th in the power rankings, only ahead of the Utah Jazz. Here's more of what they had to say about the Nets entering the 2025-26 season.

"The Brooklyn Nets will also rely heavily on a mostly unproven rotation. Theirs could include up to five first-round picks from this summer's draft: Egor Demin, Nolan Traoré, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf.

Unlike Utah, they lack veterans of Markkanen caliber from his early Jazz years.

But new Net Michael Porter Jr. is still one of the best shooters in the NBA. Nicolas Claxton had a down year offensively in 2024-25, but he has had a below-average box plus/minus since 2019-20. And Terance Mann has a long track record of being a solid multipositional gap-filler.

Brooklyn should get meaningful contributions from all three. That and playing in the East gives them the slight edge over Utah."Bleacher Report

It isn't a very good projection for Brooklyn this season. But how can the Nets outperform this prediction? That answer will lie in how quickly their rookies and young role players develop.

The Nets' core players aren't flashy, but steady. Michael Porter Jr., Cam Thomas, and Nic Claxton each provide value on the court in different ways. Porter Jr. and Thomas are elite scorers, while Claxton provides excellent two-way value inside. Those players, along with veterans like Haywood Highsmith and Terance Mann, are known commodities. But the Nets need more upside than just them.

To win more than 26 games this season and outperform Bleacher Report's dire prediction, the Nets will need their young crop of players to take big steps. The five first-round picks will be the center of that attention, and while their development is crucial, it can't all be thrown on them. Jalen Wilson, Tyrese Martin, and Noah Clowney are all just a few years into their NBA careers and facing huge make-or-break seasons.

It'll be up to those players to ensure that Brooklyn wins more than 26 games this season. Even if just one of Wilson, Martin, or Clowney can have that big breakthrough season, it should be enough to elevate the Nets past that win total, given that Porter Jr., Thomas, and Claxton all play up to their talents.

It'll be an uphill battle for Brooklyn, but it's very doable in a weak Eastern Conference. While the Nets may not compete for the playoffs this season, the 2025-26 campaign is vital for the rebuild. The Nets will learn a lot about some important young players this season. And who knows, maybe they'll even eclipse 26 wins in the process.