Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Nets fans and fans across the country.
There’s only so much you can expect from the Brooklyn Nets after a rebuilding 2025-26 season. They finished with 20 wins and haven’t made the postseason since the 2022-23 season. The priority is development and patience, which they’ve made very clear.
Governing owner Joe Tsai said the Nets won’t steer from their current strategy, despite feeling “embarrassed” by the Knicks championship. Sean Marks is aligned with Tsai and made his intentions evident regarding a patient timeline: “No, not at all. I mean, we’re not going to be motivated or less motivated by what somebody else is doing,” Marks said. “I think we all we control is our path. I think we set out on this a couple of years ago, and I think I’m very happy with what the group has done…”
Pundits are making their cases, which sound like a mixed bag of cautious optimism and some confusion, though none of it will matter once the ball is tipped off in October. Oddsmakers pinned the Nets at 24.5 wins for the season.
The Eastern Conference has gotten better, too. LeBron James is now in the East, Kawhi Leonard is reportedly headed to the Toronto Raptors, and the Washington Wizards will debut Trae Young, Anthony Davis and 2026 No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa.
The message is clear, but fans are hopeful. Coaches and players still work everyday in the gym no matter what the external expectations are. If you’re an optimist, then maybe you value the coaching staff and new additions. If you’re a realist, you’ll probably feel similarly to the pundits and oddsmakers.
Not every team can be the 2001-02 New Jersey Nets, when Jason Kidd took a 26-win Nets team to the Finals in back-to-back seasons. But the whole point of being a fan is having hope (even if expectations are tempered). Ya know, the ol’ adage: expect the worst, hope for the best.
In a recent NetsDaily poll, 56% of voters predicted the Nets would win 30-39 games in 2026-27. That wouldn’t cut it in 2025-26, but the range would’ve been more than enough to compete for a play-in spot in 2023-24 and 2024-25. Both seasons had two teams in the East qualify for the play-in within the 30-39 win range.
This is the optimists perspective — the acquisition of three-time All-Star Julius Randle should certainly help, alongside Michael Porter Jr. — who had a career season with the Nets. They added other veterans like Moe Wagner and Keon Ellis, moved on from Nicolas Claxton and re-signed Day’ron Sharpe, and drafted Mikel Brown Jr. (No. 6) and Joshua Jefferson (No. 28) this past summer. It wouldn’t appear to be nearly enough in a stacked Eastern Conference, but again, it takes an optimistic fan.
Whichever side you stand on, one thing everyone can agree on: Nobody can argue about wanting to win or lose. The Nets don’t have their own first-round pick in the upcoming draft.. Losing does them no good and winning only speeds up a healthy culture within a team.
Are you an optimistic fan? A realist? Pessimist? Let us know.
Will the Nets be in the postseason race in 2026-27?