Nets Can't Afford to Keep Winning Early in Tight Tank Race

Brooklyn continues to lose, but it might not be losing enough to reach its goal.

Over the first month of the season, the Nets have had no problem establishing themselves as one of the worst teams in the league. While things are mostly going according to plan in that aspect, there are also some teams still below the Nets in the standings, which could cause some problems down the road.

For tanking teams like the Nets, there are always plenty of different avenues to reach the end goal of a top pick. Yet, in almost every scenario, even the worst teams have to sit their best players down the stretch to ensure they don’t mess anything up with the tank.

Unfortunately for the Nets, a couple of teams ahead of them in the tank race are already showing that they might not need to do much shutting down toward the end of the year. Meanwhile, the Nets have been competitive in a number of games, and this roster is consistently testing the notion that it was Jordi Fernandez-proof coming into the year.

While this Fernandez-proof roster was expected to be so bad that not even Brooklyn’s emerging star on the sideline could make it competitive, it also expected to have Cam Thomas along for the ride. Since Thomas went down, the Nets have unsurprisingly looked much better, and Michael Porter Jr. has taken over as the clear No. 1 option and found success in that role.

Nov 3, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) looks to drive past Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

Considering Thomas will be out for quite some time, the Nets might be stuck being competitive for a bit longer, which could result in Brooklyn needing to shut down some of its guys a bit earlier than a tanking team usually would.

With Porter in the final two years of his max extension, the Nets might even be willing to cash out on his impressive play to begin the season, but if they decide to keep him around, they might need to limit his minutes and games played as the season progresses. Although having some veterans like Porter on the floor can be great for the young guys, it can also be good to simply have those mentors on the sidelines, which will likely become more prevalent toward the end of the year.

As for now, the Nets need to keep losing. Although the occasional fun win like the NBA Cup victory in Boston is great for team morale, the Nets shouldn’t be too worried about how much fun this team is having when they’re looking toward the future.