Nets' Rivalry with Knicks Delivers Motivation in Rebuilding Year

The Brooklyn Nets are in the midst of a long-term rebuild, but some regular season matchups will matter more than others.

Next season, the objective for the Nets will be to improve and develop their young stars. That also means their plan is to lose most of their games in an effort to add some more top-end talent through the draft next summer.

While being in the middle of a tanking season is rough, it is also necessary for teams like the Nets as they attempt to find a franchise cornerstone. With Jordi Fernandez and Sean Marks appearing ready to stay in this rebuild phase for as long as needed, things on the floor in Brooklyn could be quite ugly.

Still, there could be some exciting moments from the team’s five first-round picks or some veterans who lead a fun stretch of play. Beyond any surprises, the Nets still have one matchup that will always garner some attention.

Those games will, of course, be against the New York Knicks. The crosstown rivals have certainly had a bit more fire in their matchups since the Nets moved to Brooklyn in 2012, and that has led to plenty of interesting games over the years.

However, the added fire of facing New York in a season like this isn’t solely because of the teams’ location. It also has plenty to do with the Nets’ rival being a premier matchup for basically every other team in the league.

Next season, the Knicks are expected to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and be legitimate championship contenders. Led by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks also have some of that star power that the Nets lack.

For Brooklyn to get back to a point of challenging the Knicks, it will need to take these matchups personally. While pulling an upset or two against the Knicks next season would be great, it could also set the foundation for the rivalry’s future, given the Nets’ offseason influx of young players.

Next season’s home games should also provide some motivation for the Nets moving forward, considering that Barclays Center will almost certainly look and sound like a Knicks home game. Still, that shouldn’t stop the Nets from trying to defend home court and send any visiting fans out disappointed.

The Nets and Knicks might not be on the same level now, but in an NBA where rivalries are hard to come by, having one built in can be a real luxury.