Nets' Upcoming Schedule Could Send Team Back to Reality After Loss to Heat

It started to look like the Brooklyn Nets were building meaningful momentum after a very poor start to their season, as they had won four of their last six games before their 106-95 loss to the Miami Heat on Thursday.

The Heat's defense and physicality were still too much for the Nets to handle. Brooklyn shot just 11-of-49 from 3-point range and 39% from the field in total. Unless you're getting to the free-throw line at a high rate or are facing a team that is also struggling to shoot the ball with much success, you're just not going to win games with those percentages.

The Nets' schedule only gets tougher from here, as they're set to face the Toronto Raptors (Dec. 21), Philadelphia 76ers (Dec. 23), Minnesota Timberwolves (Dec. 27), Golden State Warriors (Dec. 29) and Houston Rockets (Jan. 1) in their next five games.

The Nets will be facing many lethal scorers during this stretch, which will test a defense that ranks in the bottom five of defensive rating.

The names the Nets will likely have to face during this stretch include Tyrese Maxey, Anthony Edwards, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant. Though Nic Claxton's defensive versatility could help him get a stop on those big names here and there, he won't be able to do it alone.

While the Nets won't be favored to win most, if not all, of those games, Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez still sees these matchups as an opportunity for growth.

“I don’t look at the schedule that much that way,” Fernandez said before Brooklyn's loss to Miami. “Right now, we start a new stretch of five games, and it starts tonight at home, and finding a way to compete for four quarters, get better. I think we’ve played against good teams. Again, this is the best league in the world, and all these teams are very good. It doesn’t matter where they are right now, all those players are very special. We’ve done a good job competing and getting better, and now that’s what we’re expecting to do during this next set of five games. Try to get 3-2 or better.”

At this point, it might not be the worst thing for the Nets to lose these games, as it could put the team back in the mix for a top-four pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. However, staying competitive in these matchups will still be key for long-term success.