Nets Have Been on the Wrong Side of NBA History Over the Last Few Weeks

The NBA has divided itself into clear tiers at this point in the regular season. There are the firm title contenders and playoff teams, the group competing for a postseason spot, and the bottom feeders. The Brooklyn Nets, to no surprise, have been in the league's basement this year.

But they've been taking the losing to another level as of late.

It's hard to believe that the same Nets team that went 7-4 in December and held the league's top defensive rating in that stretch could lose by 53 points. They dropped a tough one against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, never scoring over 24 points in a quarter while allowing the home team to hang at least 30 on them every 12 minutes.

Brooklyn dropped just 18 points in the third quarter and 15 in the fourth, giving the Pistons their largest margin of victory in franchise history. They outscored the visitors 63-33 in the second half as the Nets shot 33% from the field, 23% from three and committed 23 turnovers.

Get this: it wasn't their worst of the season. In fact, this wasn't even Brooklyn's worst loss in the last 11 days.

On Jan. 21, the Nets lost to the New York Knicks by 54 points at Madison Square Garden, also giving them their largest margin of victory in franchise history. Against the crosstown rival, the difference was slightly greater, but it stung a whole lot more.

The Brooklyn Nets have lost two games by 50+ points in the last 11 days. Third time since Jan. 21 they’ve lost by 30+. Jesus. https://t.co/NV2dVyomON
— Jed Katz (@JedKatz_) February 2, 2026

Sunday's defeat in Detroit marked Brooklyn's third 30-plus-point loss in less than two weeks, and its second 50-point loss. The team also suffered a 37-point defeat to the LA Clippers on Jan. 25, the first of a five-game road trip that saw it finish 1-4. Jordi Fernandez and company are now 13-35, tied for the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference.

There hasn't been a specific reason for the Nets' struggles. Yes, the offense has been poor, and a good chunk of that has to do with the absence of Michael Porter Jr. But the other side of the ball has been just as bad. Particularly against the Pistons, who recorded 28 fast-break points, they could not get back in transition after an absurd amount of giveaways.

A wild sequence to end the first half, as Cam Thomas turns it over and Ausar Thompson drains a half-court shot.

The Pistons lead the Nets by 23 points at the break. pic.twitter.com/LWWtAOJGZ2
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) February 2, 2026

It's easy to shrug it off as a fan because losing is incentivized. Brooklyn is hunting for a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and it's always good to have the best odds possible. However, you can't help but be disappointing that the losses are coming by such a significant amount.

The Nets are a far cry from where they once were in December, and even though winning games doesn't help their position in June, that 11-game stretch was fun to watch because of how much the youth was showing. Now, they've sunk to their lowest point, playing lackadaisical basketball on both ends of the floor.