What is the Brooklyn Nets' Ceiling for the 2024-25 Season?

The Nets have low expectations, but can they exceed them if everything falls into place?

Mar 13, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) dribbles the ball against Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) in the fourth quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports / Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

It's no secret that the Brooklyn Nets are rebuilding their organization. They've hired a new head coach to orchestrate a roster full mostly young players with a philosophy built around development and unselfishness. Brooklyn's win total is set at 19.5 as training camp approaches, giving them the lowest win total in the NBA. The expectation is for the Nets to be a tanking team, but what's their ceiling for the2024-25 season?

Brooklyn is highlighted by a young core featuring Cam Thomas, Jalen Wilson, Noah Clowney, and Dariq Whitehead, with other pieces fitting into the mix as well. Thomas is coming off of a season in which he averaged 22.5 points per game, and should improve upon those numbers after Mikal Bridges was shipped off to the Knicks. With more opportunities for the younger players, the hope is that they show development under head coach Jordi Fernandez.

Nicolas Claxton sits somewhere in between a young player and an experienced veteran. He's only 25, but on the landscape of NBA careers that isn't exactly young, nor is it close to being considered "old." The experienced veterans in Brooklyn include Dennis Schroder, Cam Johnson, and Dorian Finney-Smith, all of which can produce on both ends of the floor while giving mentorship to the team.

There's the likelihood that Finney-Smith and Johnson will be traded soon, but talks have stalled after the buzz surrounding the two following Bridges' departure. If they stay with the Nets, their roles won't change.

A lot would have to fall into place for Brooklyn to find great success compared to their win total. The projection is low for a reason, and outside factors would come into play for the Nets to hit their ceiling for the season.

The Eastern Conference, particularly the teams outside of the top five, is weak. The Play-In Tournament contenders and second and third-tier teams don't showcase much talent, which could open a door for Brooklyn if everything goes right.

Along with the rapid improvement of the young core, teams like the Hawks and Bulls (who finished one and two spots above the Nets last season) would need to decline as they did on paper this offseason. Atlanta traded key All-Star Dejounte Murray, while DeMar DeRozan left the Bulls in a sign-and-trade. The teams below Brooklyn, particularly the Raptors and Pistons, would also have to go against their win projection and fail to improve.

If all of this falls into place, there's no reason why the Nets wouldn't be able to be a top ten or even top nine team in the East, however, it's unlikely. It also wouldn't do much good for the franchise in the long run, seeing as how they are in a position to draft high in the highly-touted 2025 draft.

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