Nets have their doubters, but players believe they can surprise
Dorian Finney-Smith of the Brooklyn Nets celebrates after making basket against the Philadelphia 76ers during game at Barclays Center on Tues. Mar. 5, 2024. Credit: Errol Anderson
There’s little doubt what’s in store for the Nets in the 2024-25 season. Most observers expect a long year of losing as they enter the first stage of their latest rebuild.
DraftKings listed the Nets’ win total at 19.5. It’s the lowest of any team listed (Chicago, Golden State and Utah are not listed).
It’s not an unreasonable reaction after the Nets traded their best player, Mikal Bridges, to the Knicks. But in addition to whatever long-term gain can come from it, the current players are trying to see the immediate positives.
Cam Johnson joined a rebuilding Suns team when he was a rookie in 2019. The Suns won 19 games the previous season and improved to 34 wins after Johnson arrived. A year later, they were in the NBA Finals after trading for Chris Paul.
So does he see similarities with where the Nets are starting? Not exactly.
“These situations are so unique . . . and how they present and how team chemistries work,” Johnson said. “So I think [the Nets are] a fresh group with a fresh start with a lot of potential. We get a healthy Ben [Simmons] back and the stuff that we were able to do with him in the lineup last year, I think there’s a lot of potential.”
Dorian Finney-Smith was in a similar place when he started with the Mavericks in 2016. His first three seasons, they missed the playoffs and struggled as the team transitioned from Dirk Nowitzki to Luka Doncic.
The win totals those three years: 33, 24 and 33. But beginning in 2019-20, the Mavericks went to the playoffs three consecutive seasons. Finney-Smith, Doncic and Jalen Brunson were some of the young players who emerged from that losing to have defined roles.
Finney-Smith, too, shares optimism that this season could plant seeds for later.
“I feel like we got a chance to get better the whole year," he said. "Obviously, guys are going to be in situations where they’ve never been at. We got somebody like Mikal who’s not here, so that’s going to be a bunch of minutes, shots and defense that we’re gonna have to pick up.
“It’s gonna be a great challenge, but I know everybody’s been working this offseason.”
It’s easy in theory for players to stay positive, but it's difficult in action. When losing sets in, it’s tough to stay consistent and avoid bad habits. That happened to the Nets last season while they sank to a 50-loss campaign and missed the postseason for the first time since 2018.
Fans might look past the losing next season and beyond toward the Nets’ stable of future draft picks, including four first-rounders in 2025. Players often don’t, though, because it means they could be replaced. The Nets have seven players on contracts that expire after next season.
It’s why Johnson and Finney-Smith, both on longer deals but mentioned in trade rumors, have tried to stay positive and in the present. For the Nets’ younger players, though, a rebuild means a chance for more minutes.
That’s what Noah Clowney sees with new coach Jordi Fernandez. Through two Summer League games, the second-year center has impressed with his growth as a rim protector, especially with altering shots by jumping straight up to get verticality without fouling.
“The [draft] picks, I leave that to the people who decide all that,” said Clowney, who has six blocks in two games . “I just try to do my part, play hard and be enthusiastic about everything that we're doing."
It doesn't change that next season will be difficult. The Nets face a possibility of not just losing a lot of games, but a massive roster overhaul between now and next summer.
Yet the players are trying to keep things in perspective. For Johnson, that means seeing how the Nets can grow after Bridges’ departure even if there are low outside expectations — and projected win totals — for a team staring at a difficult rebuild.
“I take pride in it and I’m excited,” said Johnson, who missed 34 games last season. “I don’t take any of these seasons, any of these games for granted. It’s a blessing to be in this league, it’s a blessing to be able to play, and so I’m gonna do it to the best of my ability.”
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
