Brooklyn Nets Have Work to do in 2026 NBA Cup Standings

The Nets will be fighting for their cup lives from here on out.

Nov 7, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Julius Randle (30) dribbles the ball down the court against the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Brooklyn Nets’ hopes of finding success in the NBA Cup are intact, but there’s no margin for error. 

On Saturday night, the Nets lost in Atlanta to fall to 2-7 on the season and are looking to bounce back in Dallas on Sunday. While those games are important for the bigger picture of the season, they don’t affect the Nets’ short-term goal of making it to the knockout stage of the NBA Cup.

Considering the Nets were in rebuild mode for the first three seasons of the in-season tournament, they haven’t seen much success. However, this season appeared to have the potential to change that fortune. 

Yet, the Nets started their NBA Cup journey with more of the same, losing in blowout fashion to the Detroit Pistons. While it typically doesn’t matter how much you lose by when it comes to the regular standings, it’s a significant factor in the NBA Cup.

Sitting with a point differential of -16, the Nets’ path to the knockout stage doesn’t appear to be an easy one. In East Group A, the Nets currently sit in last place as one of two 0-1 squads.

With a point differential slightly worse than the Milwaukee Bucks, the Nets have some work to do in that area to simply avoid a last-place finish. They have even more work to do if they want to have a chance at advancing past the group stage for the first time. 

While it isn’t impossible for a 2-2 team to make it to the knockout stage, three wins is usually the magic number to be in the conversation. With the Nets already suffering one loss, winning out may be their only option from here. 

On Friday night, the Nets learned a bit more about their path ahead, with the Toronto Raptors beating the Bucks in Milwaukee. The Raptors are now the lone team in the group with multiple cup games played and sit at 1-1. 

With those teams each having a loss, the Nets would leapfrog those squads by simply winning out. However, a 3-1 record would only guarantee finishing above those two teams at this point. 

With a loss to the Pistons and the Orlando Magic winning their first game in group play, the Nets would need to win out along with a Detroit loss to still have a chance at winning the group. Should there be a tie at the top among those three squads, point differential would come into play, and Brooklyn already has a lot of work to do on that front.