The troubling Nets trend holding them back for yet another year

Jordi Fernández sat inside the visitors news conference room at Madison Square Garden and looked at the paper boxscore in front of him following the Nets’ 103-90 loss Monday to the reigning champs.

“I mean, you hold a team to 103 points in the NBA, you should be able to win a lot of games,” Fernández said.

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Even if tanking is in Brooklyn’s rearview mirror, its offense remains stuck in the past.

In Fernández’s first season, Cam Thomas — who is no longer in the NBA — was the leading scorer on a 26-win team that ranked 28th in scoring (105.1) and offensive rating. Last season’s 20-win squad — featuring Michael Porter Jr. and a collection of underwhelming young role players — finished last in the league in scoring (105.9) and offensive rating.

Brooklyn Nets forward Julius Randle (30) drives to the basket against New York Knicks center Andre Drummond (0) on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, in New York. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This season, the Nets received a much-needed infusion of talent — two-time All-NBA selection Julius Randle and No. 6 overall pick Mikel Brown Jr., along with Mo Wagner and Keon Ellis — but the team has struggled to develop offensive chemistry.

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Through seven games, the Nets (1-6) rank 29th in scoring (105.6), 28th in offensive rating, 29th in assist to turnover ratio (1.21), 28th in turnover percentage (18.3) and 28th in field goal percentage (41.7).

Entering Wednesday’s game against the Hornets (3-5) — which may see second-year star Kon Knueppel make his season debut — Brooklyn is averaging 94 points over its past three games. In Monday’s loss to the Knicks, the Nets scored a season-low 90 points, allowing a late lead to evaporate as they shot 3-for-16 with five turnovers, while scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter.

“I think it’s more about us not being organized, and then if you have empty possessions, you don’t run anything for anybody, like nobody’s in the right spot,” Fernández said. “You don’t touch the paint. You don’t move. You don’t reverse the ball, and you get either no shots or terrible shots. … Everybody’s got to do their jobs because…

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Publish date : 2026-11-04 00:26:00

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