The Nets have now lost six straight games at Barclays Center after getting beat by the Indiana Pacers on Monday. They continue to climb the 2025 draft board with each lopsided defeat.
According to Tankathon’s latest projections, Brooklyn would pick at No. 7, No. 19, No. 25 and No. 27 in June if the season ended today. It currently has a 32% chance at a Top 4 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and a 7.5% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick.
As the Nets continue to tank their season for higher draft position, some believe there are still lower depths they can reach. Trading away Dennis Schröder, Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton obviously helped in that pursuit. General manager Sean Marks now commands 31 draft picks over the next seven years.
Brooklyn cannot stay healthy right now, either. Cam Johnson (right ankle sprain) will not be re-evaluated until Thursday at the earliest. Cam Thomas (left hamstring strain) will not see the court until after the team returns from its upcoming six-game road trip. Trendon Watford (left hamstring strain) has not appeared in a game since Dec. 16. D’Angelo Russell missed Monday’s game because of a right shin contusion and the team will not rush him back. And Ben Simmons’ availability continues to be hit-or-miss as he continues to recover from offseason back surgery.
Head coach Jordi Fernandez was forced to trot out a starting lineup of Keon Johnson, Tyrese Martin, Ziaire Williams, Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton against the Pacers. While each has earned their keep in the league, that is far from the makeup of a competitive NBA team.
“I love my players,” Fernandez told reporters following Monday’s loss. “I’m never going to say the other players are better than my players, that’s never going to come out of my mouth. My players are great, we just have to find a way to be better and cut out some mistakes.”
However, you will not catch the first-year head coach throwing his players — or organization — under the bus publicly. While current circumstances are out of his control, his expectations remain the same, and he is committed to competing with whatever pieces he has.
Excuses are simply not his style.
“No matter if we’re up by 20, down by 20, it doesn’t matter with Jordi,” Day’Ron Sharpe said. “He wants to play hard, aggressive all game, pick up full court all game, make another team play hard all game. That’s why everybody’s buying into it. Even the games we’re down 35, we’re trying to lose by 15, you know? Just because we’re down by 35 doesn’t mean everybody just goes out there and does whatever. We’re still going to play hard, run our stuff, and make them play.”
Most of what is happening to the Nets right now is by design. But as Marks continues the process of identifying who in the locker room is worthy of sticking around for what comes next, there is still plenty to play for.
Sharpe appears to understand what is at stake. The second-year forward finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds in Monday’s loss, setting new season highs in both categories. The Nets were undermanned entering the night and he stepped up. His nine offensive rebounds tied a career high and helped Brooklyn to a 33-8 edge in second chance points. He also tied a career high with five assists, showcasing his progress as a playmaker on the block.
“Impressive,” Fernandez said. “His effort, second, third, fourth on the glass, that’s his superpower. That’s why we need him to bring that every game and then keep getting better in other aspects… I thought he was fantastic. The extra possessions but also finishing. That’s a good step for him, but also, him doing that makes us better. All these reps right now are huge.”