Here’s how the tanking strategy unfolds.
The Nets were on a surprising upswing, winning three games in a row and four out of five at the end of December. However, that momentum seems to be slipping—the front office’s plans to utilize June draft picks may be at risk now.
Currently, they’ve lost four straight games and nine of their last ten, marking a dismal 2-12 stretch since that brief winning streak.
It’s not an ideal situation for a team that holds its own first-round pick this year but is set to send next year’s pick to Houston.
The upcoming five games don’t look easy either, with four against potential playoff contenders.
First up, they’ll face the high-profile Clippers in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Guided by former Nets coach Lawrence Frank, now running operations in L.A., the Clippers have turned their season around nicely, winning seven of their last eight.
Following this, they’ll hit the road for matches in Phoenix and Denver, along with what could be winnable games in Utah and Detroit.
As the Feb. 5 trade deadline approaches in just four days, discussions around moving veteran players like Michael Porter Jr. might arise. Though he had a strong showing in his first season with the team, the ongoing losses might impact how the club views his future.
After a staggering 54-point defeat against the Knicks, the Nets managed to put forth a better effort against Boston but still fell in overtime.
Despite Porter having a solid game against the Celtics, he was less than enthusiastic when questioned about the team’s fight in that double-overtime loss. His response, to the point, focused on the loss itself.
“We lost. That’s all that matters to me,” he stated firmly. “Although it was a slightly better performance than before, it still ended in a loss. We need to win games like these—we’ve dropped too many close ones this year.”
This latest defeat keeps the Nets in fifth place for the draft order.
As noted by Brian Lewis, “Front offices are concerned with tanking, not the players or coaches. Coach Jordi Fernandes and his team are working on fostering winning behavior, or at least avoiding destructive patterns.”
Porter mentioned that the defense was “a mess,” especially when a Celtics player hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to clinch the game in overtime.
Nick Claxton expressed his own confusion about that play and indicated he would need to review the footage to understand how Gonzalez got so open.
This sort of confusion isn’t unusual for a young team facing off against one with a championship pedigree.
Yet, there’s a tricky balance between improving draft lottery odds and the emotional toll of continual losses.
Last year, the Nets surprised many by securing 26 wins but ended up suffering bad luck in the draft, finishing sixth and subsequently dropping to the eighth pick.
They have a busy period ahead, and well, it might not be pretty.
