The Nets’ final 28-game stretch will start on Thursday with a matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Barclays Center.
Brooklyn entered the All-Star break on a three-game winning streak, is currently 12th in the Eastern Conference at 20-34, and now finds itself flirting with a spot in the Play-In Tournament under first-year head coach Jordi Fernandez.
Here are three things to watch as the Nets’ 2024-25 regular season winds down.
PLAY-IN PUSH?
The Nets were in the midst of a brutal seven-game losing streak this time last month. Hope was quickly slipping away. A Top 5 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft felt guaranteed. And a good number of fans were content with that fate.
However, Brooklyn is getting healthier now. The team has boasted the No. 1 defense in the league since Jan. 22. D’Angelo Russell, Nic Claxton, Ziaire Williams and Day’Ron Sharpe have been playing some of their best basketball in recent weeks, while guys like Keon Johnson, Trendon Watford and Tosan Evbuomwan have proven to be a reliable supporting cast. And instead of stressing over lottery odds and fantasizing about ping pong balls, the Nets are almost in position to do the unthinkable: punch their ticket to the postseason.
Fernandez has this team playing hard despite injuries, absences and outside noise. Cam Thomas and Noah Clowney are expected to return shortly after the All-Star break, which should bolster the team’s struggling offense.
Brooklyn seems to be peaking at the right time. It can still make something of this season, if that’s the path it chooses to take. The Nets have the 15th toughest remaining schedule, per Tankathon. If they get into the Play-In, anything can happen.
THOMAS’ REINTEGRATION
Thomas hasn’t appeared in a game since Jan. 2. His impact on offense is clear. The Nets have an offensive rating of 115.7 with him in the lineup and have an offensive rating of 107.0 without him. He was averaging a team-best 24.7 points per game on 44.8%/37.5%/87.6% splits before he was sidelined indefinitely because of a left hamstring strain.
While there’s no set date for when Thomas will return, he has continued to progress in individual on-court workouts and is expected to return shortly after the All-Star break. Scoring is his superpower. He brings an element to the Nets’ offense that has been missing lately. His production will be needed for a Play-In push.
REGRETS?
General manager Sean Marks was reportedly seeking two first-round picks in exchange for Cam Johnson at the trade deadline. No team was willing to meet that asking price, leaving Johnson rostered in Brooklyn for the remainder of this season.
Will Brooklyn regret not trading Johnson at peak value? He’s averaging 16.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game on 45.8%/34.6%/85.7% splits in four games removed from a six-game absence, which is fine, but down from his season averages of 19.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists on 48.8%/41.3%/89.4% splits.
Rust was expected after missing six straight games, but if Johnson’s averages continue to slip for whatever reason over the Nets’ final 28 games, then where does that leave them entering a pivotal offseason?
Johnson, soon to be 29, is under contract for two more years, so keeping him around long term isn’t completely out of the question. He is one of the premier snipers in the league. But peak Johnson was the player we saw ahead of the All-Star break, and his value tanks from here, Brooklyn could regret not moving him sooner and eventually lose him for nothing.
