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Brooklyn Nets

Frank Fleming
Author: 
Frank Fleming
20 mins
October 23rd, 2023
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Brooklyn Nets

Historical Moments

2012/13:The Nets were scheduled to make their Brooklyn debut on November 1st against the New York Knicks. Due to the lingering effects of Hurricane Sandy, which had knocked many roads and the subway out of commission led to the game being postponed. The Nets would face the Toronto Raptors two days later and win their debut at Barclay’s Center 107-100. The game against the Knicks would be rescheduled for November 26th, with the Nets prevailing in overtime 96-89. The Nets would play well on November 11-4, but in December, the Nets play turned sour, as they dropped 10 of their next 13 games, leading to the dismissal of Coach Avery Johnson. He was replaced by P.J. Carlesimo on an interim basis. The Nets would win their first two games with Carlisemo on the bench, as they went into the New Year with a record of 16-15. The Nets started 2013, with a 110-93 win on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder, as they began January, with a seven-game winning streak. Helping to pace the Nets in January was Brook Lopez, who, after playing just five games in the team’s final season in New Jersey, bounced back to make his first All-Star team as he averaged 17.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. The Nets had their ups and downs in the next two months, but they managed to stay well secure in the playoff position. The Nets would even manage to secure home court in the first round of the playoffs by winning seven of nine games in April to finish their first season in Brooklyn with a record of 49-33. Among the Nets having a strong second half was Deron Williams, who had a team-high 18.9 ppg, with 7.7 assists per game.

2013 Playoffs:The Nets faced the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs with Brooklyn hosting its first postseason game since the 1956 World Series. A fired-up Barclay Center had plenty to cheer in the opener as the Nets got off to a fast start to lead 50-35 at halftime on the way to an easy 106-89 win. However, the Nets would struggle in Game 2, losing 90-82 as the Bulls evened the series at a game apiece. Following an ugly 79-76 loss in Game 3, the Nets suffered a fourth-quarter meltdown in Game 4, as the Bulls overcame a 12 point deficit to force overtime. In overtime, the Nets could not stop Nate Robinson, who scored 34 points and led the Bulls to a 142-134 win in three overtimes. Down 3-1 in the series, the Nets faced elimination upon their return to Brooklyn, and kept their hopes alive with a 110-91 win, as Brook Lopez scored a game-high 28 points. Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez, and Deron Williams each scored 17 points in Game 6 in Chicago to lead the Nets to a 95-92 win over the hobbled Bulls to even the series. However, not even returning to Game 7 in Brooklyn would be enough to lift the Nets into the second round, as the Bulls behind a gutsy effort from Joakim Noah won 99-93 in the decisive seventh game. The Nets would not keep P.J. Carlisemo on as head coach following the season, choosing instead to roll the dice and hire Jason Kidd, who had just retired after a 19-year career, playing for the New York Knicks in his final season. Kidd would name Lawrence Frank as an assistant coach, looking to learn on the job from the coach who was there for most of his tenure in New Jersey. The Nets would also bring in three veterans with a champion pedigree as they acquired Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Jason Terry, and DJ White in a blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics, sending Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, MarShon Brooks, Keith Bogans, and Kris Joseph along with three draft picks to Boston in return.

2013/14:After an off-season spending spree, the Nets entered the season hoping for a run at the championship, as they felt they built a team that could give the Miami Heat all they could handle. Following a disappointing 98-94 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Nets would face the Heat in their home opener at the Barclay’s Center. Things would go as planned with Joe Johnson and Paul Pierce each scoring 19 points as the Nets won the game 101-100. However, the Nets would struggle early in the season as their veteran players looked old, and their Coach Jason Kidd looked to be in way over his head. To help Kidd, the Nets hired former Coach Lawrence Frank as a top assistant to help Kidd learn the job of being a coach on the fly. Jason Kidd was suspended for the first two games due to a Drunk Driving arrest, and it seemed that Lawrence Frank tried at times to outrank Kidd; eventually, the Nets would cut ties with Frank as he seemed to be hurting Jason Kidd more than he was helping. As the Nets scuffled, Jason Kidd humiliated himself pretending to spill a soda to get a stoppage when the Nets had no timeouts 99-94 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the league was not amused, and Kidd was fined. As December ended, the season looked like a lost cause for Brooklyn as the entered the New Year with a record of 10-21 having lost Center Brook Lopez to a season-ending foot injury. However, as 2014 began, the Nets started to find their way thanks to a smaller lineup that seemed to mesh better and move the ball more quickly. The Nets would open January with a stunning 95-93 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road with a Joe Johnson shot at the buzzer. The Nets would open January by winning five straight, including a double-overtime thriller against the Heat. The Nets winning streak would end the following night against the Toronto Raptors, but the momentum gained would not be interrupted by a loss in which the team was clearly tired. The Nets would continue to inch their way towards .500 and back in the playoff race throughout January and February. At the trade deadline, the Nets landed Marcus Thornton in a deal with the Sacramento Kings for Reggie Evans and Jason Terry. They would also sign Jason Collins to a ten-day contract, making him the first openly gay player to play in the NBA. Collins would only see limited action but received standing ovations nearly every time he entered the game both at home and on the road. Thornton would prove to be a valuable sixth man averaging 12.3 ppg in 26 games with Brooklyn. The Nets also got a boost from the sudden emergence of Mason Plumlee, who was one of the team’s top shooters. Also, play a key role was Shaun Livingston, who, after a series of knee injuries, nearly derailed his career looked like his old self, scoring 8.3 ppg and seeing increased playing time as the Nets made their second-half run. The Nets would finally reach the .500 mark in March as they completed a season sweep of the Heat. The Nets would finish the season with a record of 44-38 grabbing the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

2014 Playoffs:The first round of the playoffs would be the battle of the Atlantic Division as the Nets faced the Toronto Raptors. The Nets would score a big win in Game 1, as Paul Pierce led the way in a 94-87 win. However, the Raptors would rebound to even the series with a 100-95 win in Game 2. As the series shifted to Brooklyn, the Nets got a big game from Joe Johnson, who scored 29 points to lead the way in a 102-98 win in Game 3 as they held off a late charge from the Raptors. The Raptors would seize the momentum early in Game 4 and took an early 17 point lead, only to see the Nets rally to tie the game in the third quarter. However, the Nets ran out of gas in the fourth quarter and dropped the game 87-79. The Nets again had to come from behind in Game 5, as they trailed by as much as 26 points. The Nets would get within two points before Andray Blatche threw an errant pass that resulted in a backcourt violation to allow the Raptors to hold on for a 115-113 win. The Nets would carry that momentum in Game 6, opening the game with 34 points in the first quarter as they sent the series to a seventh game with a 97-83 win at Barclay’s Center. Game 7 would be back and forth affair as the Nets got 26 points from Joe Johnson and won the game 104-103, with Paul Pierce block Kevin Lowry’s attempt to win the game for Toronto at the buzzer. The Nets would move on to face the Heat in the second round. Worn down by their seven-game battle with Toronto, the Nets looked slugging in the opener, losing 107-86. The Nets would not do much better in Game 2, suffering a 94-82 loss. As the series shifted to Brooklyn, the Nets finally came back to life, winning 104-90, making 15 shots from behind the arc. However, the Nets had no answers for LeBron James in Game 4, as he scored a Miami playoff franchise-record 49 points to give the Heat a commanding 3-1 series lead with a 102-96 win. The Heat would go on to finish the series with a 96-94 win in Game 4 powered by a 12-0 run late in the fourth quarter as the Nets went four minutes without a basket. Following the season, the Nets would be stunned by the actions of Jason Kidd, who attempted a power play to remove General Manager Billy King in attempts to get a raise after just one season on the bench. At the same time, he was in talks to take the coaching job with the Milwaukee Bucks. Eventually, the Nets would send Kidd to the Bucks in exchange for two second-round draft picks in 2015 and 2019.

2014/15:One year after entering the season with championship aspirations, the Brooklyn Nets grand plan began to unravel. First, they were stunned by the departure of Coach Jason Kidd, who used a power play to force his way out of Brooklyn, with the Nets receiving a pair of picks from the Milwaukee Bucks. The Nets would also lose Paul Pierce, who signed with the Washington Wizards and Shaun Livingston, who signed with the Golden State Warriors, while Lionel Hollins was hired to replace Kidd. After starting the season with a 121-105 loss to the Boston Celtics, the Nets would win four of five, but a five-game losing streak would saw them slip below .500. The Nets would have their strong stretches here, and there, as December closed, they would make a run towards respectability. The Nets would make it back to .500 by opening the New Year with a 100-98 win over the Orlando Magic. However, wins would be rare in January as they lost their next seven games and 12 out of 15 while losing all seven games at Barclay’s Center. Injuries played a role in the Nets’ struggles, but so did underwhelming play as Deron Williams lost his starting job and battled a rib injury. Despite their struggles, the Nets remained in the playoff chase in the mediocre Eastern Conference. The Nets would continue reshaping their roster, sending Kevin Garnett to the Minnesota Timberwolves at the trade deadline. The Nets played their best basketball as the season as they won eight of nine as March turned into April. The race for the eighth seed would go down to the final game; the Nets would finish the season with a 101-88 win over the Orlando Magic, finishing 38-44 and claiming the last playoff spot via tiebreaker over the Indiana Pacers. The Nets bright spot was Brook Lopez, who was the team’s best player with 17.2 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game.

2015 Playoffs:Facing the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks, the Nets proved to be peskier than expected. The Nets got good efforts in the first two games but lost both. Losing the opener 99-92 and losing 96-91 in Game 2. When the series shifted to Brooklyn, the Nets continued their strong play and broke through, winning Game 3 by a score of 91-83 as Brook Lopez led the way with 22 points and 13 boards. The Nets would also win Game 4 to even the series 120-115 with Deron Williams scoring 35 points. Back in Atlanta, the Nets continued their pesky play but lost Game 5 by a score of 107-97. The Hawks would put the series away in six games, winning the finale 111-87 as they pulled away with a 41-point effort in the third quarter.

2015/16:Entering their fourth season at the Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets were a mess. The veteran players they had gotten for a playoff run were nearly all gone, and the draft picks they had dealt away made it impossible for them to think about building for the future. Despite coming off a playoff appearance, it was clear the Nets were nowhere close to being a playoff team as the season began as they had parted ways with Deron Williams, who never lived up to expectations with the Nets. After starting the season with seven straight losses, the Nets finally earned their first win of the season on the road against the Houston Rockets 106-98 on November 11th. A win would continue to be scarce for the Nets in the first half, as they held a 9-23 record at the end of December. After losing four of five games to start January, the Nets decided to clean house as both General Manager Billy King and Coach Lionel Hollins were dismissed on January 10th, with Brooklyn reeling with a record of 10-27. The Nets would not show much improvement under interim Coach Tony Brown as they went into the All-Star Break a moth later, holding a record of 14-40. As the break came to an end, the Nets made another move, releasing veteran Joe Johnson. The Nets would go on to finish the season with a record of 21-61, losing their final ten games to cap a terrible season.

2016/17:Hopeless that was the situation for the Brooklyn Nets as they began the season under new coach Kenny Atkinson. The Nets had a roster that was a dearth of talent and did not have a draft pick for the next two seasons due to the now-infamous deal with the Boston Celtics to bring in Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. Hoping to piece together a team that could compete as best they could, General Manager signed several familiar names, including Jeremy Lin. When Lin was healthy, the Nets were competitive, but a pesky hamstring hampered Lin, all season causing him to miss more than half of the season. After a 4-5 start, the Nets fortunes plunged with Jeremy Lin in street clothes as they suffered a seven-game losing streak. The Nets would win just three games in December as they entered the New Year with a record of 8-24. As January began, the Nets were in the midst of an 11-game losing streak. After a surprise 143-114 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on January 20th, the Nets again went into another long losing streak this one would last 16 games as the Nets suffered a winless February. With Jeremy Lin back on the floor, the Nets would seven games in March, nearly doubling the nine wins they had at the beginning of the month. The Nets would win four of seven in April, but their record of 20-62 was still the worst in the NBA. Brook Lopez, on the way to becoming the Nets all-time leading scorer, averaged 20.5 points per game, while Jeremy Lin finished 14.5 points and 5.1 assists per game.

2017/18:The dark clouds began to lift over the boroughs, as the Brooklyn Nets were slowly beginning to build for the future as they were getting rid of bad contracts for draft picks. While their original number one pick was as the number one overall pick, the Nets made a strong choice grabbing Jarrett Allen from Texas with the 22nd overall pick. They later packaged Kyle Kuzma the 27th pick to the Los Angeles Lakers with Brook Lopez for D’Angelo Russell. The season began with a frustrating 140-131 loss to the Indiana Pacers, as Jeremy Lin suffered a season-ending knee injury. In two seasons with Brooklyn, Jeremy Lin was the best player on the floor, scoring 14.6 points per game and 5.1 assists per game. Sadly, he was never healthy, playing just 34 games. D’Angelo Russell also had his injury issues as he missed ten weeks following knee surgery in November. Without a reliable scoring option, the Nets were never a factor in the playoff race, as they held a 19-33 record when Russell returned at the end of January. As the Nets finished out the final stretch, they began focusing on the future, which meant giving players like Spence Dinwiddie extra playing time. Dinwiddie showed signs that he could be a valuable part of the future, averaging 12.6 ppg. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson also showed some promise with averaging 13.9 points and 6.8 boards per game. The Nets would once again finish last in the Atlantic Division with a 28-54 record, but at season’s end, there was a sense that better days were ahead.

2018/19:It was the final season that the Brooklyn Nets paying for the Kevin Garnett trade, as the last pick they had dealt away, was selected eighth overall with Collin Sexton going to the Boston Celtics. The Nets continued ridding the bad for the good, as they had some raw talent on the team as they continued to build for the future. For one player, the future arrived in 2019, as D’Angelo Russell, who had been considered an underachiever when he was traded by the Los Angeles Lakers finally played like the second overall pick. Russell made his first All-Star Game while leading Brooklyn in scoring with 21.1 points per game. He was also the Nets leader in assists, handing out seven dimes per game. Meanwhile, Spence Dinwiddie became a valued sixth man for the Nets, averaging 16.8 points off the bench. On the floor, the Nets appeared to be heading for another lost season as they sat at 8-18, on the heels of an eight-game losing streak on December 5th. Beginning with a 106-105 win over the Toronto Raptors in overtime, the Nets began to turn things around two days later. The win over Toronto triggered a seven-game winning streak, as Brooklyn went into the New Year, holding a record of 17-21. The Nets push for respectability continued in January, as they won all seven games at the Barclays Center. However, the best moment of the month came in Houston on January 16th when they reached the .500 mark with a 145-142 win in overtime over the Rockets, as Spencer Dinwiddie led the way with 33 points. Two nights later, D’Angelo Russell put up 40 points as they beat the Orlando Magic 117-115 on the road to sit at 24-23. The Nets would hover near .500 the remainder of the season, which was good enough to get them into the playoffs for the first time in four years with a record of 42-40.

2019 NBA Playoffs:In the playoffs, the Brooklyn Nets would face the Philadelphia 76ers in a battle of Atlantic Division rivals. The playoffs would start well for the Nets, as they record a stunning 111-102 in the opener in Philadelphia. The Sixers would bounce back and won the next four games, but despite their quick playoff exit, it was clear the Nets had turned the corner and were again a team to take seriously in the NBA.

Nets Arenas

Barclays Center

2012-Present

Brooklyn Best

Kris Humphries, 2012/13

Gerald Wallace, 2012/13

C.J. Watson, 2012/13

Andre Blatche, 2012-2014

Reggie Evans, 2012-2014

Jason Collins, 2013/14

Shaun Livingston, 2013/14

Paul Pierce, 2013/14

Marcus Thornton, 2013/14

Deron Williams, 2012-2015

Alan Anderson, 2013-2015

Kevin Garnett, 2013-2015

Mason Plumlee, 2013-2015

Mirza Teletovic, 2013-2015

Joe Johnson, 2012-2016

Markel Brown, 2014-2016

Jarrett Jack, 2014-2016

Thaddeus Young, 2014-2016

Brook Lopez, 2012-2017

Bojan, Bogdanovic 2014-2017

Sean Kilpatrick, 2015-2018

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, 2015-2019

Jeremy Lin, 2016-2018

DeMarre Carroll, 2017-2019

Allen Crabbe, 2017-2019

D’Angelo Russell, 2017-2019

Spencer Dinwiddie, 2016-Present

Joe Harris, 2016-Present

Caris Levert, 2016-Present

Jarrett Allen, 2017-Present

Kevin Durant, 2019-Present

Kyrie Irving, 2019-Present

DeAndre Jordan, 2019-Present

Taurean Prince, 2019-Present

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Author

Frank Fleming
Frank Fleming founded the Sports Ecyclopedia in 2001 & is a passionate Devils fan.