The Nets Have Fallen Far From Where They Once Were, Less Than a Month Ago

Was December even real for Brooklyn?

Jan 23, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin (8) watches from the bench during double overtime against the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

It's hard to believe that less than a month ago, the Brooklyn Nets had the best defensive rating of any NBA team over a 30-day stretch. December was a special month for the rebuilding organization, as they posted the league's top rating (105.4) in said department. For a moment, there was legitimate hope that they could challenge opponents more often than not.

That was short-lived, as January has been one of the most disappointing stretches of Nets basketball, even for a bottom-feeder. Last night was a brutal road game against the LA Clippers, but it wasn't even the worst of the month. A 126-89 loss was the Nets' second-largest margin of defeat of the season and over the last week.

On Jan. 21, Brooklyn gave the New York Knicks their largest margin of victory in franchise history, losing 120-66. Not only has it been a poor offensive month, but the team is just as concerning on the other end.

The Nets are 29th in both offensive and defensive rating since the turn of the year, but a few games are keeping them from ranking dead last. More specifically, they're 30th in net rating at -13.9.

Brooklyn is putting up 104.1 points per game, which is last by a significant margin. The Milwaukee Bucks are ranked 29th, but they average 108 points per game.

On the other end, the Nets are allowing opponents to shoot a league-worst 41.1% from three, the only team to let them shoot 40% or higher.

There isn't any expectation for Brooklyn to be competitive; everyone was pleasantly surprised with a 7-4 record in December. However, there also wasn't any reason for people to believe the team would fall this far in such little time.

Head coach Jordi Fernandez took responsibility for the loss to the New York Knicks. To an extent, every individual within the organization bears responsibility for such a poor loss. But it's also hard to believe that was the same coach who had the Nets playing inspired basketball less than four weeks ago.

With Michael Porter Jr. expected to be traded before the Feb. 5 deadline, Brooklyn is only expected to fall further into the rebuild through the rest of the season. The hope is that it will pay off, but while losing is incentivized for these lottery-bound organizations, the last few weeks have been more than a disappointment for the Nets.