Brooklyn Nets Must Find Success Against Western Conference in 2026-27

The Nets have hopes of making the postseason, and a good record against the West could go a long way.

Jan 30, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin (8) steps back to shoot against the Utah Jazz during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Brooklyn Nets will have their work cut out as they look to make the postseason, but they could make it easier with some interconference success.

Next season, the Nets will be looking to return to competitive basketball. Not controlling their 2027 first-round pick, the Nets have no incentive to tank, and with additions like Julius Randle and Mikel Brown Jr., the team may be ready to make a leap toward the postseason.

With the new lottery system and the wild offseason that’s unfolded over the past few months, the Nets will have plenty of obstacles to overcome in the Eastern Conference. With the East appearing to be at its deepest in recent memory, breaking into the top 10 to secure a spot in the postseason will be quite difficult for Brooklyn.

Considering everything that’s happened in the East, Brooklyn’s storylines coming into the season are largely focused on the competition around it. However, there should also be a greater focus on the competition out West that the Nets will be facing throughout the year.

While the Eastern Conference makes up a majority of Brooklyn’s schedule, it will also still face the West for 30 games next season. With the typical two matchups against each team in the opposite conference, the Nets will need to find ways to get some wins in those matchups.

Last season, Brooklyn managed only a 6-25 mark against the Western Conference. Winning less than a fifth of its games against the West, the Nets’ mark against the opposite conference was considerably worse than its mark against the East, which is saying something for a team that won only 20 games. 

Sure, getting some wins against the teams around it in the standings out East will be critical for Brooklyn and its chances of making the postseason. Still, it must find some success against Western Conference competition to either bolster its place in the East standings or to make up some ground.

Considering the depth of the Eastern Conference, it may actually be a bit easier next season for Brooklyn to rack up some wins against the West. Although it likely still won’t get wins against the best teams out West, some of the West’s worst competition should make for more than winnable games for the Nets.

The Nets’ playoff push will center largely around their Eastern Conference performance, but they can’t ignore how important it will be to get some wins against the West.