The singular win against the Indiana Pacers seemed like a one-and-done for the Nets as they took multiple losses this past week. The tank continues for Brooklyn as they are primarily focused on building for the future rather than trying to make things work in their current times. More recently, Cam Thomas will be out of action for the coming weeks due to a left hamstring sprain. This leaves more playing time for the young guys and can help further their development, but at the cost of tough losses ahead for Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Nets are now 1-10 and are in 13th place in the Eastern Conference.
Cade Cunningham Dominates Against Brooklyn
The Detroit Pistons took care of business when they claimed a 125-107 victory over Brooklyn in each team’s first NBA Cup game of the 2025-26 season. The Nets were without Cam Thomas, so it was up to Michael Porter Jr. to pick things up offensively for Brooklyn. His 28 points were impressive, and he was backed up by Nicolas Claxton’s 17, but it wasn’t enough to beat Cade Cunningham’s Detroit Pistons. Cunningham had a great game, going 13 of 18 from the field with 34 points and 10 assists for the night. Behind him was Jalen Duren, who put up 30 points and 11 rebounds.
The Nets maintained a good pace in the first half of the game, leading by as much as 10 points in the second quarter, but Detroit managed to rally and take the lead. Cunningham led the third quarter by scoring 14 points and helped Detroit take the lead, which it never relinquished. The Pistons continued to pile on throughout that second half and made the game unreachable for Brooklyn, especially since they were without Cam Thomas for the night.
Despite another expected loss for Brooklyn, the bright spot was a good game for rookie Egor Demin. Demin had good looks and played more confidently on the floor. His willingness to shoot has been a positive look, and building up that confidence at an NBA level will make it easier for him to grow as a player.
Drake Powell may not have looked good on the stat sheets, but he played good defense and gave off great energy. The rookies are the main priority, and the losses won’t matter for Brooklyn if they start to see significant improvement in their potential core.
Nets Lose To Streaky Rival In New York Knicks
The New York Knicks took swift care of Brooklyn in a 134-98 defeat at Madison Square Garden. Karl Anthony-Towns was unstoppable with 28 points and 12 rebounds, and was the player of the night based on his performance. Both Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby had 19 points each to help contribute to the blowout win. Porter Jr. once again tried to make things happen for Brooklyn as he put up 25 points.
The Nets were nowhere to be found on the defensive end as the Knicks steamrolled their way to their fourth straight win and added to their undefeated streak at home. The Nets did outscore the Knicks, 40 to 37, in the second quarter. It was proven meaningless in the second half as the Knicks kicked it into gear and made the game unreachable after a 12-0 run.
The defense for Brooklyn has been nonexistent, but the energy and effort are there. Porter Jr. has been having quite the season so far, averaging around 21 points per game. This will prove beneficial for both parties, as Porter Jr. can raise his stock value to become a valuable trade asset in February, while the Nets can gain even more picks to help build out their future.
The rookies looked good once again, as Powell put up another noteworthy performance with 15 points in the loss. The Nets show some promise in their young core, but there’s still a lot to improve on.
Toronto Raptors Clean House In Victory Over Brooklyn Nets
The Toronto Raptors continue to pile on the losses for Brooklyn in a 119-109 victory. It was Brandon Ingram’s 25 points and Immanuel Quickley’s 24 points that helped the Raptors take the win. Scottie Barnes had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. It was reasonably close throughout the game, with Brooklyn matching closely on the scorecard throughout three quarters, and only being outscored by as much as 10 points in the second quarter.
Porter Jr. and Claxton had 21 points, but their offensive output was not enough to lead Brooklyn to victory. While the Nets were able to match Toronto offensively, they were outrebounded 50-36.
Tuesday’s game was once again a positive game for the Nets as the rookies played well. Demin played well on both sides of the ball and is incrementally improving each game. Powell was once again outstanding on the defensive end. In addition, Claxton has been playing well offensively, often matching Porter Jr.’s.
The Nets’ young core is slowly coming together, with the only issue being that there’s been limited playing time for Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf. While the games do look ugly and Brooklyn has a very broken defense, the rookies have been slowly improving and give a glimmer of hope for the future of Brooklyn.
What’s Next For The Nets?
As mentioned before, the Nets are far and away from being a contender and are a few years away from sniffing a playoff spot. However, these last few games have been a slow burn for the rookies positively. Egor Demin is starting to look more confident on the court and playing well on both sides of the ball. Drake Powell has been a sleeper and is dominant on the defensive end.
With Michael Porter Jr. leading the offense due to Cam Thomas’ absence, his stock will help Brooklyn get good trade value in February. Whether it’s a young talent that can be added to Brooklyn or a potential draft pick remains to be seen, but Porter Jr.’s performance will be beneficial for both parties once the trade deadline hits.
