Nets Take Massive Leap on NBA's Power Rankings

The Brooklyn Nets are climbing out of the abyss, winning three of their last four games. Because of that, the Nets jumped from 29th to 25th in John Schuhmann of NBA.com's weekly power rankings.

Schuhmann notes that Michael Porter Jr. averaged 34.3 points on an effective field percentage of 67.9%, his usage rate jumped from 19.7% last season to 28.6% this season, and that his true shooting percentage of 62.4% would be his highest mark in the last five years.

Porter Jr. played in all but one of those games, but he's looked extremely locked in. He's shooting over defenders, getting downhill, and operating well on dribble handoff actions with Nic Claxton.

It's worth noting that the Nets' wins have come against teams in a similar predicament as them, including the Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, and New Orleans Pelicans. The Nets' upcoming schedule has a ton of winnable games, including matchups against the Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks, though Dallas has been hot in recent games.

Brooklyn fans who want the team to tank to maximize their chances of securing a high draft pick likely don't want to see more wins come their way, but tanking doesn't appear to be an option for the Nets as long as Porter Jr. and Claxton remain on the team.

It's worth noting that the teams with the top two draft selections in the 2025 NBA Draft did not finish with a bottom-five record and were in play-in contention. Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz, who finished with the worst record in the league last season, ended up with the No. 5 pick.

With that said, the Nets are still not expected to be a playoff team this season, though they are just three games out of a play-in spot.

However, the best path forward remains playing your best players, learning what it takes to win at the next level, and making the young players earn their minutes.

Tanking can create bad habits, and it's hard to flip the switch once a culture of losing permeates around the organization. Just ask teams like the Washington Wizards, Hornets, and Pelicans.

Danny Wolf has emerged in recent games, showcasing excellent footwork, athleticism, and playmaking skills. However, it's important for the Nets to continue to make Wolf earn his minutes while putting him in positions to learn from other bigs on the roster, such as Claxton, Day'Ron Sharpe, and Noah Clowney.