Now flirting with Play-In Tournament spot, suddenly surging Nets have a choice to make

The Nets were expected to triumph 18.5 games this season. That’s it. And aft trading distant Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith successful December, they appeared to beryllium good connected their mode to utter futility.

While Brooklyn remains 1 of the worst teams successful the NBA grounds wise, it inactive exceeded expectations nether first-year caput manager Jordi Fernandez. Monday’s 97-89 defeat of the Charlotte Hornets astatine Barclays Center marked the franchise’s 19th triumph this season.

That fig matters successful the Nets’ locker room.

“We retrieve erstwhile that database came out,” Trendon Watford said. “We decidedly kept that successful the backmost of our heads. How they doubted us… Shoutout to the experts.”

The Nets someway eclipsed their projected triumph total, earlier hitting the All-Star break, contempt trading cardinal players and a plethora of injuries and extended absences up and down the roster. And aft losing 7 consecutive games from Jan. 15 to Jan. 27, they participate Wednesday’s location matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers with 5 wins successful their past six tries.

Brooklyn’s lone nonaccomplishment during that agelong was against the Washington Wizards past Wednesday. For keeping players motivated successful what galore expected to beryllium a mislaid season, Fernandez and his unit merit tons of credit.

Cam Thomas has been retired for implicit a month. Cam Johnson precocious missed weeks worthy of games.

“I told them [we were projected to win] 19, truthful don’t archer them that I lied to them,” Fernandez said. “I don’t bash 18.5, I rounded up to 19. It’s what the likelihood is. You person to find ways to beryllium competitive. We’re astatine 19 close now, but the constituent is to support going and play the close way. When the likelihood are against you, you effort to beryllium a rival and respond. I deliberation the guys person done a large job. We person 29 games left, truthful we person to support trying to get better, support gathering what we privation to physique here.”

There’s a flip broadside to this surge of success. The Nets’ chances of landing a Top 4 prime successful the 2025 NBA Draft proceed to dwindle with each win. Brooklyn has the sixth-best lottery likelihood entering Tuesday’s games, with a 37.2% accidental astatine a Top 4 prime and a 9% accidental astatine landing the No. 1 wide pick. Three games down the Toronto Raptors for fifth.

The brainsick portion is, the Nets (19-34) are conscionable 3 games backmost of moving into the last Play-In Tournament slot successful the Eastern Conference. Also important to support successful mind:  the Atlanta Hawks had 3% likelihood astatine landing the No. 1 prime aft finishing 10th successful the Eastern Conference astatine 36-46 past play — and inactive deed the jackpot.

The Nets won’t beryllium capable to power the aerodynamics of ping pong balls astatine the Draft Lottery successful Chicago connected May 12, but they tin power their effort down the agelong of the regular season. Instead of finishing the vessel strong, they could combat their mode into the Play-In Tournament, extremity their 2024-25 play with purpose, and possibly inactive get fortunate successful presumption of draught presumption erstwhile it’s each said and done.

This abruptly surging squad present has a prime to make: Bet connected the lottery likelihood oregon stake connected themselves.

“With each the trades and everything that’s happening, we inactive recovered a mode to travel together,” Day’Ron Sharpe said. “I consciousness similar we person a clump of guys who cognize however to get on with radical and that’s wherefore it’s helping us.”