Brooklyn Nets: One Item to Watch for Each Player After the All-Star Break

The second half of the NBA season is right around the corner.

Dec 19, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson (2) reacts after making a three point basket against the Toronto Raptors in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The All-Star break is a time for relaxation, but also reflection. The second half of the NBA season is about to start, and it looks like a crucial one for the Brooklyn Nets’ long-term aspirations. 

Any hopes of a full-on tank seem like a relic from the past — the Nets are 6-4 over their last 10 games, plus on a three-game winning streak — but the 2025 NBA Draft still looks pivotal for the Nets’ future. Getting the No. 1 pick is a long shot, although not impossible, but there is plenty of talent to be found in the second half of the draft’s top 10 range. 

Focusing on the team’s immediate future, Brooklyn are currently twelfth in the Eastern Conference with a 20-34 record. The Nets’ over/under of wins this season was originally set at 19.5, meaning that head coach Jordi Fernández’s squad has already outperformed expectations. His team sits with the same wins and losses as the Philadelphia 76ers, and just 1.5 games behind the play-in picture.

Here is one note for each Net player ahead of the rest of the season: 

Reece Beekman arrived in Brooklyn via the trade that sent Dennis Schröder to the Golden State Warriors. The two-way guard has played scarcely since then, and that’s because his offensive output remains his biggest NBA swing skill. Beekman is a pesky and long defender, but his positional size and scoring on offense doesn’t let him compete for minutes.

Bojan Bogdanovic is yet to play in a Brooklyn uniform since returning to the team he started his NBA career with. It will be interesting to see whether the 35-year-old suits up for the Nets to show teams that he’s still got it, so to speak, or whether Bogdanovic is eventually bought out before the end of the season.

Nic Claxton signed a four-year, $100 million contract in the summer, and then had a slow start to the season. At first, he was coming off the bench. Later, it seemed like he never truly got engaged. That has changed recently. Claxton is averaging 11.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks over his last 10 games. This needs to continue.

Noah Clowney has really carved out a role this season as a huge 3-point shooter. Most of the time (especially since Day’Ron Sharpe’s return), he’s played as a quasi-wing of sorts, rather than as a big. Clowney can definitely take and make threes — he’s at 35.4% on 5.6 attempts per game and 12.3 per 100 possessions — but what else can he do? His field goal percentage is at 37.5%, only about two percentage points higher, and the Alabama product can still struggle when asked to make a quick decision. At the very least, Clowney needs to improve how he attacks closeouts.

Tosan Evbuomwan has been a pleasant late addition to the Nets, signing a two-way contract on Jan. 1 and rapidly becoming a part of Jordi Fernández’s rotation. The Spanish head coach seems to like the former Princeton forward, and it’s for good reason. Evbuomwan plays smart and hard, and he makes quick decisions when the ball reaches him. Going forward, can he adjust his shot diet? Evbuomwan takes 35.9% of his shots at the rim, compared to 47.4% of those shots being jumpers, per Synergy. He's shooting 9-for-21 (42.9 FG%) from the midrange, but that's an atypical distribution for an NBA role player trying to get upgraded from a two-way.

Cam Johnson just needs to keep doing what he’s been doing. He’s been the Nets’ best player this season and is putting together an incredible year. If there’s one thing to nitpick, it’s how Johnson can keep improving as a pick-and-roll ballhandler and general on-ball decision maker. Brooklyn have empowered him to flesh out his game this season, and we’ve seen that to mixed results.

Keon Johnson has quietly been one of the Nets’ most impactful players in 2025. The 22-year-old swingman is averaging 15.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.6 blocks per game over his last ten. The efficiency is improvable, given that Johnson is at 39.6% from the field and 27% from three, but the former Tennessee man is filling up the box score. Johnson shows signs of being a real NBA player with his elite vertical athleticism, annoying point of attack defense and scoring production, but the idea of what he can do is often better than how it plays out.

Maxwell Lewis suffered a bizarre left tibia fracture in his Nets debut, but he’s back now with a chance to show what he can bring to an NBA team. Lewis was the No. 40 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, going to the Los Angeles Lakers, but he’s barely played since then. Making the most of any minutes he gets on the court should be Lewis’ priority.

Tyrese Martin was the architect behind the Nets’ unlikeliest win of the season so far, but he’s generally been a steady contributor off the bench. The Brooklyn swingman has probably earned a spot on an NBA roster next season with his play this year, although the competition will be fierce. Martin was Brooklyn’s final two-way contract, but he should be the first contender to get converted into a standard deal.

De’Anthony Melton is out for the season after surgery on a partially torn left ACL. He was part of the Schröder trade, and is an unrestricted free agent this summer.

D’Angelo Russell is back in Brooklyn and, in many ways, it’s like D’Lo never left. Russell is the type of player who might not exactly fit a championship team, but who can really help a middling squad. The Nets just require steady point guard play from Russell for the rest of the season, as he’ll also hit unrestricted free agency in a few months.

Day’Ron Sharpe fills up the stat sheet if he’s on the court. The Nets’ big is slightly undersized, but he’s one of the better rebounders across the entire league. Sharpe has decent feel as a scorer and passer, and he keeps the ball moving smartly. Brooklyn should want to retain Sharpe’s services when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer.

Cam Thomas has strangely felt like an afterthought as of late. Really, though, that's because of time missed due to injury. Thomas has only played twice, on Dec. 29 and Jan. 2, since late November. He's currently out with a hamstring injury, but will return soon. Then, Thomas will need to keep showing that he can pass and defend, in addition to his bucket-getting antics. The Nets guard is also headed for restricted free agency.

Trendon Watford recently returned for the Nets, and he’s as valuable as ever with his positional versatility and connective playmaking. His recent partnership with Sharpe has popped, and they’re a +12.97 in 96 minutes together, per PBP Stats. Watford is an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Dariq Whitehead is struggling in his second year with the Nets. In all fairness, this is effectively his rookie season on the court, but Whitehead isn’t even getting on the floor for Brooklyn’s main team. His best performances have come in the G League with the Long Island Nets — and even then, the former Duke Blue Devil has not found it easy. Whitehead needs to show signs of life before the end of the season.

Ziaire Williams was traded to the Nets last July, and the story of his stint in Brooklyn has been similar to his overall career trajectory until now. Williams, the former No. 10 pick in the 2021 draft, looks like he has all the tools, but his impact on the court fluctuates immensely. He still needs to find consistency in the NBA.

Jalen Wilson has probably already outplayed most guys who go No. 51 in the draft. The former Kansas Jayhawk is in the Nets’ rotation and he plays every night this season after spending most of his rookie year in the G League. But now that Wilson is with the big boys regularly, he needs to assert himself much more frequently. There are plenty of nights where it can feel like Wilson is playing hard, but ultimately just running up and down the floor without much production.

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