Nov 23, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (17) takes the ball from center Nic Claxton (33) in the second half against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Two Surprisingly Positive Brooklyn Nets After 16 Games

Originally posted on Brooklyn Nets on SI | By Jed Katz | Last updated Nov 24, 2025 10:47 AM ET

Last night, the Brooklyn Nets suffered their 13th loss of the season in a 119-109 road defeat against the Toronto Raptors. It's just about what anyone would expect from a rebuilding team: slightly competitive basketball, but in the end, a loss any which way you want it.

The Nets are 3-13, following the blueprint to secure a high lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The 2025-26 season was seemingly over before it started, but for good reason. Losing is a part of the process, and while the on-court product is disappointing, there have been a few statistical bright spots in Brooklyn:

Assists

Not many would expect a team featuring Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas to have good ball movement, but the numbers say otherwise. Thomas has been out since November 7 with a hamstring injury, which has opened up more opportunities for guards.

The Nets rank 29th in points per game (109.8), but a high number of those points are assisted. They're 25th in assists per game (24.9), but are eighth in assist percentage (66.1%).

️Shoutout to the great (& quickly developed) MPJ / Claxton chemistry.

The Nets also run these trendy 3-man elbow (or higher) plays where a big passer as 2 guys screen for each other. And Nic can find MPJ on cuts or go hand off so he pulls up.

Lots of in-flow handoffs as well pic.twitter.com/BmTAdWYPIF
— Martim (@MEmpire25) November 22, 2025

Brooklyn isn't scoring much, but even with Porter ending some possessions concerningly early, the team is moving the ball well, at least for one in the basement of the NBA. Jordi Fernandez emphasized selfless basketball when he first joined the organization, and the addition of Egor Demin is improving the playmaking.

Fourth-Quarter Defense

In both offensive and defensive ratings, the Nets are toward the bottom. Interestingly enough, though, they're seventh in fourth-quarter points given up (27.7 per game). While many fans are disappointed that Fernandez isn't giving enough opportunities to the rookies in the second half, Brooklyn, to some degree, has benefited from more veterans closing out games.

On the other end, the Nets aren't particularly good in the final 12 minutes, ranking 27th in fourth-quarter points (26.1 per game). Offensively, they're more of a first-half team, but it's at least promising that the intensity drives up in the final period, even if they're losing by a wide margin.

More recently, the fourth-quarter defense proved crucial in Brooklyn's 129-106 win over the Washington Wizards on November 16. The Nets allowed just 22 points from their opponent in the final 12 minutes of action while scoring 35 of their own. It was against a fellow bottom-feeder, but that game showed that Brooklyn isn't as poor as people thought coming into the season.

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

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