Why Preseason Matters for Brooklyn Nets as a Rebuilding Team

The Brooklyn Nets are gearing up for another year, with preseason just around the corner.

This season won’t be much of an exciting one for the Nets, given that they are in the midst of a rebuild with no clear end in sight. Still, every season matters in the NBA, and this could easily be one that changes the direction of the Nets’ future, whether that be for better or worse. 

Of course, that journey will begin over the next couple of weeks as the Nets start preseason action. Beginning with a game against an international team on Saturday, the Nets’ preseason will also feature their first matchup against an NBA team this year when they face the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 10.

With another 82 games to follow in a year that won’t be followed closely by most around the league, it would be easy to point to the preseason as meaningless. However, teams in Brooklyn’s position might need the preseason more than any others.

For starters, the Nets have five first-round picks set to make their debuts this season, and the preseason can be a perfect way for them to shake their nerves before suiting up for their first NBA action in the regular season. While getting their rookies accustomed to NBA action will be critical, it will also be a significant period for Nets coach Jordi Fernandez.

Fernandez had a solid first season as an NBA head coach last year, but his work is only getting started. Over the course of the preseason, Fernandez will have a chance to implement his system again.

While some key players, such as Cam Thomas and Nic Claxton, won’t have any problems as they gear up for another year in Brooklyn, there are plenty of new faces who will be learning Fernandez’s style for the first time.

That period will be especially imperative for Michael Porter Jr., Terance Mann and Haywood Highsmith, who enter this season as potential veteran leaders. If they can pick up on Fernandez’s system early, it will only help Brooklyn’s developmental process, considering it would be difficult for the coaching staff alone to get the large rookie class prepared for the season.

Overall, the games probably won’t matter too much in the grand scheme of things. However, they will be a reflection of the work going on in training camp and will set the foundation for what the next 82 games of basketball look like in Brooklyn.