Nets receive a woeful C- grade in their first half progress this 2023-24 season

From being rated B+ in the first quarter, Brooklyn saw a massive drop in their grade in this season's first half.

© Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The Brooklyn Nets saw a furious roller coaster ride in the first half of their 2023-24 season.

After boasting a promising 13-10 record that put the majority of the league on notice, the Nets suddenly went stumbling and struggled to gain a robust form for themselves. Partly due to injury battles and plenty of inconsistency at both ends of the floor, they have lost eight of their last nine games and 13 of their 16 en route to a woeful 16-23 record that puts them on the brink of leaving the Eastern Conference's 10th seed.

From this disappointing stretch after a strong season start, Bleacher Report gives them a considerable grade for their zigzagging first half of the 2023-24 campaign.

Nets gained a discouraging C- grade

Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey submitted a C- grade for the Nets’ first-half progress this season, a considerable drop from what he posted for the team in the first quarter (B+).

Bailey likened the Nets to a “student who aced the first test and then just stopped turning in the homework.” As it is, the ball club struggled to maintain their groove after an impressive season beginnings. He also argued that Brooklyn's weak point of having no established “No. 1 guy” has been glaring.

Bailey added that Ben Simmons' lengthy absence has affected the Nets’ tough stretch. With Ben inactive due to his back issues and hasn't been able to flash his old prime form yet, Brooklyn continues its awful slide as the former All-Star’s defense and versatility could have been beneficial for them.

“The only thing really saving the Nets from a steeper slide from the last grade are the preseason expectations. The solid start may have been misleading. The truth about Brooklyn probably lies between the version we saw through November and the one we've seen more recently.”

What does this mean for the Nets?

Their sudden crash after a promising display to start their season poses nothing but an extreme concern for the Nets. And as the league's trade period continues to loom, Brooklyn might have to position itself for urgent changes to its roster to save their season.

With 12 games left to their schedule before the Feb. 8 trade deadline, the Nets brass truly has the utmost ponderings and assessments to make about how they'll go and perform for the said stretch. As they have plenty of rotational pieces that are drawing market interest, the time is ticking to truly squeeze out their value.

What will unfold for the Nets in the next few days remains yet to be seen. But they certainly have to improve and consider adapting some modifications for the better.

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