The New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets are like yin and yang. The Knicks are the New York team, and the Nets are just a basketball team that happens to play in New York City. The Knickerbockers have roots in New York dating back to 1946, while the Nets relocated from New Jersey to Brooklyn only 12 years ago. The Knicks consistently sell out the iconic Madison Square Garden (MSG), with ticket prices skyrocketing as celebrities clamor to courtside seats, while the Nets’ Barclays Center is frequented by half-interested Brooklyn hipsters and families who want to catch a game without spending MSG prices. And perhaps the most notable difference — the Knicks are playing decent basketball this season, while the Nets simply aren’t.
Other than signing veteran guard Jordan Clarkson, the main move the Knicks made this past offseason was bringing on former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown to shake up the system, moving on from stagnant Thibs-Ball to Brown’s chaotic, high paced style. With an 11-6 record that puts them fourth in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks are comfortably positioned for another playoff berth come April — but that’s where the real test begins. After making the playoffs in four of their last five seasons yet failing to reach the finals in any of those years, the Knicks must capitalize on their current roster, and soon, before their championship window closes.
A significant concern with this Knicks team is their ability to win games against high-caliber teams; New York is just 5-5 against teams that boast a winning record. Much of this issue stems from the Knicks’ second-worst three-point defense in the NBA, which is allowing opponents to shoot at a 39.4% clip. One change Brown could make to alleviate their defensive woes is giving Miles McBride more minutes — he’s a great closeout defender who still has room to develop. It’s also worth noting that the Knicks have been without standout defender OG Anunoby for the past six games, which has no doubt played a part in their struggles against the three. Additionally, center Mitchell Robinson has been intermittently available all season, missing seven of the team’s 18 games and playing with a minute restriction when he is active. The Knicks are no doubt a better team when both guys are active, so this softens some concerns (assuming both will be healthy come playoffs). The Knicks have also showcased great offensive rebounding ability, are shooting an elite 18.1 open threes per game and rank third in offensive rating.
New York currently has negative cap space and is hardcapped at the second payroll apron for the 2025-26 season, meaning they have little flexibility when it comes to acquiring new players. For now, the Knicks should focus on adjusting to Brown’s new fast-paced system of play, ideally figuring out how to beat strong teams in the process. The Eastern Conference is as wide open as it’s ever been, and if the Knicks can work out some kinks, their core of Brunson, Towns, Anunoby, Bridges, Hart and Robinson can contend with the best of the best.
The Nets, on the other hand, have been on a downhill spiral. The team has been completely overhauled in recent years, and their current rebuild status places them firmly in the basement of the NBA. Brooklyn is an extremely young team — they took an NBA record five players in the first round of the 2025 draft, and their oldest player, Terance Mann, is only 29 years old. Naturally, growing pains are expected as young players adjust to the NBA, but this Nets team is on another level of bad.
As of Nov. 29, the Nets own a 3-16 record, placing them at 14th in the Eastern Conference, ahead of only the Washington Wizards. Embarrassingly, they were the last team in the NBA to win a game this season. Their offense has been anemic, ranking dead last in points per game with an average of 109.2 and 23rd of 30 in offensive rating at 112.3. Nic Claxton, the team’s starting center (who isn’t particularly known for his playmaking ability), leads the team in assists per game with 4.1. Among all players, this number ranks 61st. Their defense isn’t any better, conceding an average of 119.7 points per game (22nd of 30) and holding a defensive rating of 122.7 — the worst in the league. The vibes in Brooklyn are extremely poor, and Head Coach Jordi Fernández acknowledged this fact following the Nets’ 24-point loss to the 76ers on Nov. 2: “I’m failing at trying to get my guys to play hard … the effort is not there and the defense is not there.”
Though their record might suggest otherwise, it hasn’t been all bad down in Brooklyn. In Cam Thomas’s absence (he’s been out of action since Nov. 7 with a left hamstring strain), former Denver Nugget Michael Porter Jr. has been thrust into the number one scoring position. With the keys to the offense in his hand, Porter has stepped up, posting career highs in points, rebounds and assists per game with averages of 24.3/7.4/3.0, respectively. The rookies have also shown promise — Egor Demin has a future as a playmaking point guard, and Drake Powell has proven to be a solid 3 and D player. Add in Danny Wolf’s 22-point breakout performance against the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 29, and the Nets have some players who could make a serious impact in the coming years.
Brooklyn is in full-on tank mode right now, and their only option is to embrace it. Coach Fernández needs to lean into it, let the young guys play and hope they can develop into leaders or competent depth pieces at the very least. Right now, the Nets will take anything they can get.
