Is Nets Rebuild Going Backwards?

The Brooklyn Nets are winning games, but are they moving forward?

Nov 9, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson (2) celebrates a basket in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets have had a decent start to the season, but these wins that they have allotted in late October and early November may not matter much in the long run.

The Nets are still focusing their attention towards rebuilding, but Bleacher Report writer Eric Pincus believes that these wins could be counterproductive towards the team's overall success.

"Brooklyn is probably happy with its solid start. Teams rarely dislike winning more games than expected early in the year, and perhaps the team even stays within play-in contention," Pincus writes. "But the Nets aren't on par with the East's contenders. Will there be a point at which the team focuses on development and the lottery, maybe trading veterans ahead of the February deadline? If so, these early wins may come back to haunt the franchise in the lottery."

The Nets are faced with a tough dilemma. Do they win games to establish a culture and try and build a foundation for winning or do they tank in order to achieve the highest odds to land a top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft?

Of course, Nets coach Jordi Fernandez isn't trying to lose these games, so the team will press forward to win. They may not achieve the highest odds for the top pick, but establishing a winning mindset and identity could attract the right talent to the Nets one way or another.

Want to join the discussion? Like Nets on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Nets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.