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The 2025-26 season has not gone the way the Brooklyn Nets would have hoped. The team has begun 0-7, while not seeing many positive results from their five first-round picks either. It is already that time in the season where guys are getting called out publicly. Less than three weeks in.
In their most recent game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Nets were hanging tough. For three quarters, at least. They lost the fourth by 13 points, and wound up with losing 125-109.
As they continue to mount the losses, the question has to be asked: When is the first victory going to come for these guys?
Brooklyn Nets Surprise Assist Leader
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When a team starts a season 0-7, there won’t be much positive press coming out. Not in any sport, let alone the world that is the NBA. And so as the Brooklyn Nets have struggled to get things done, there has been a lot made of their poor play.
The team drafted dive rookies, four of which were guards, and three of them point guards, specifically. Even with that, they have not been starting any of them for the last few games, with veteran Tyrese Martin moving into the spot. Not Egor Dëmin, Nolan Traoré, or Ben Saraf (anymore). It’s Martin.
And with that nugget, here comes the most surprising stat, perhaps in the entire NBA this season. Michael Porter Jr., coming into the Timberwolves game, was actually leading Brooklyn in assists, at around three per night. His lack of ball movement in Denver earned him a bit of an unsavory nickname. Michael “Possession Ends Here” Porter Jr.
The issue has not been that his passing seems to have improved. It’s that the point guards aren’t facilitating very well. Cam Thomas was supposed to come back and make things happen for these Nets this season. At least his scoring has been there as usual, putting up 24 points per night.
The problem is, Thomas only has 11 assists in six games outside of one (seemingly) outlier performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he dropped nine. A team that lacks playmakers will certainly struggle to put up victories.
In Porter’s absence, Nicolas Claxton dropped seven assists against Minnesota. Terance Mann added five. Four for Demin. The team did add 25 on their 36 hoops in the loss. It’s something, right? Eh.
Is It Already A Lost Season in Brooklyn?
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The good news for the Nets is that they have their draft own pick next season. So if the team does struggle to win games, they could land a big prospect. But, the lack of late-game competitiveness is something that should be causing some concern.
Head Coach Jordi Fernandez himself has stated that he has struggled to get guys to play hard this year. The losses were certainly expected, but hearing things like this can be a bit worrisome. Plenty of teams have lost this much before while keeping spirits high. This situation is clearly not one of them.
The Nets have three more games to play in the week, and they may have a real chance at finally winning one. They face the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, followed by the Detroit Pistons on Friday at the Barclays Center. Brooklyn battles their in-city rival in the New York Knicks at MSG on Sunday.
Indy has amassed just one win so far. Detroit has gone 5-2, with three straight wins. New York sits at 4-3 to this point. Playing hard as a collective unit and making a plays for one another could go a long way for these Nets.
The Pacers game seems like the best opportunity for these guys to take their first W. Let’s see if it comes to fruition.
And, let’s see if Michael Porter Jr. actually still leads the team in assists within the next week or two. Nets fans may hope one of the guards steps up, instead.
Zach Weiss Zach Weiss is a sports reporter covering the NBA for Heavy. He also hosts a podcast about the Cleveland Cavaliers, “Across the Cavs,” and serves as a sports broadcaster for various institutions in the Greater NYC Area. He wrote for Knup Sports for six years. More about Zach Weiss
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