Mar 24, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton (33) looks on during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Problems in the way of the Brooklyn Nets Going Over Their Projected win Total

Originally posted on Brooklyn Nets on SI
By Colin Simmons | Last updated Oct 16, 2025 8:14 PM ET

We are just one week away from the Brooklyn Nets' season opener. Expectations are low and for good reason.

Even though Brooklyn has proven talent on the roster in the form of Nic Claxton, Cam Thomas and Michael Porter Jr., a top-five pick in the 2026 NBA Draft would do wonders for the rebuild.

The team looks very different from last year, with five rookies and multiple assets acquired through trades bringing even more uncertainty to this season. Among these and other issues, it will be a challenge for the Nets to surpass their 19.5 win projection.

NBA analysts Zach Lowe and Bill Simmons agreed that Brooklyn will go under its win line. While they were positive about head coach Jordi Fernandez's coaching style, they said the front office "Jordi-proofed" the roster.

Why the Nets' Veterans Won't be Enough

David Banks-Imagn Images

Along with the aforementioned trio of proven talents that should all be in the starting lineup, Brooklyn also has Terance Mann and Haywood Highsmith as contributors.

Porter Jr. brings in a lot of winning experience, but it remains to be seen how he'll perform without Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray by his side. A lot of these experienced players still have room for development, but Lowe cited a problem in the way of wins.

"They're all gonna be trade candidates," Lowe said. "And if you hand an NBA team to rookie guards... the results are generally disastrous."

The Rookie Dilemma

Brooklyn didn't draft five rookies just to not play them. The problem with the class contributing to wins is that they are all similar players because of their ball-dominance.

Egor Demin, Nolan Traoré, Ben Saraf and even Danny Wolf are best with the ball in their hands. From what we've already seen this preseason, that could lead to a lot of turnovers.

It's definitely not a bad thing that the organization sounds so willing to play its draft picks, but that doesn't bode well for winning.

Despite being a raw team in terms of talent, with only a few pure scorers, there are so many mouths to feed. While the Nets have their five rookies, they also have other young players in need of development, like Ziaire Williams and Noah Clowney.

Getting developmental minutes to the young guys will be more important than Brooklyn trying to get this roster into Play-In territory. With five rookies, the hope is that 2-to-3 of them pan out, but another top pick in the draft could speed up the process of the rebuild.

This article first appeared on Brooklyn Nets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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