Grade: D+
After a 107-86 blowout loss against the Philadelphia 76ers, this marks the end of the 2023-24 season for the Brooklyn Nets. Finishing with a putrid record of 32-50, the Nets finished 11th in the Eastern Conference, missing the play-in tournament entirely. Going into the season, the Nets were expected to win approximately 40 games and compete for a playoff/play-in spot, and they fell completely short of making that goal. Of all the teams in the NBA that were trying to be competitive, the Nets were the worst team in the NBA. Every other team that finished with a worse record is either a team that came into the season with the intention to tank or teams that pivoted to tanking.
The Nets were expected to be a good defensive team going into the season, with multiple high-caliber defenders such as Mikal Bridges, Ben Simmons, & Nic Claxton. However, the Nets finished 20th in defensive rating, making them a bottom 10 defense in the NBA. A large part of this was due to the system, as former head coach Jacque Vaughn exclusively ran drop coverage for nearly half the season, despite it not utilizing the roster's strengths. Offensively, it was worse, as the Nets finished 23rd in offensive rating. The reason being the lack of a point guard for a large stretch of the season due to the injury to Simmons and the lack of production from Spencer Dinwiddie. That, alongside not having a real offensive system, was a recipe for disaster as the Nets relied on Cam Thomas and Mikal Bridges to carry the offense.
After getting traded to the Nets post-deadline last season, Mikal Bridges averaged an impressive 26 points on 61% TS in a 27-game sample size. Because of this, there was an expectation of Bridges potentially reaching an All-Star level this season. However, this season he averaged 19.6 points on 56% TS and had a considerable decline on defense compared to the All-Defense caliber player he was in Phoenix.
Despite getting paid a $108M contract in the offseason, Cam Johnson struggled. Offensively, he had a slight decline, going from 16 ppg to 13 ppg on worse efficiency. There was little defensive impact from Johnson, who struggled with lower-body injuries throughout the season. Worst of all, Ben Simmons suffered another back injury, essentially ending the season for the former All-Star PG. While being productive when he did play, Simmons finished the season playing 15 games; he struggled to stay healthy.
The only silver linings of the season were polarizing young guard Cam Thomas, and the rookies Noah Clowney and Jalen Wilson. Thomas had an excellent season, averaging 22.5 points on 55% TS, while showing improvements as a passer and defender. Both rookies, Clowney and Wilson, also showed flashes, especially Clowney, who became the 3rd youngest player in NBA History to score 20+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5 offensive rebounds off the bench.
Overall, the season was a failure. The Nets were projected to compete for a play-in spot, and they were unable to reach that goal. To make matters worse, the Nets traded their 1st-round pick to the Houston Rockets, so there is no reward for being a bad team this season. Because the Nets were trying to be competitive, they did not trade any of their major pieces to jumpstart a rebuild. Hopefully, the future looks better; however, with how the team has been managed, it is difficult to see a path to success anytime soon.
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