Brooklyn Nets over/under wins at 19.5, is that still too high for the tank agenda?

Our friends at FanDuel have published their over/under win totals for the season, and the Brooklyn Nets come in at the lowest with 19.5. Is this the right number for this team? It’s an interesting discussion considering the motivations, outlook, and talent (or lack thereof) on this squad.
The Locked on Nets talk about what losing Mikal Bridges means, what the Nets goals are this season and what other teams could “challenge” Brooklyn here.
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[@lilhorsechoka]

I honestly gotta pushback on that we were probably worse than a 32 win team line. There were 18 games we could have won that we lost due to JV being a bad coach. Not even saying we would have won all of them with better coaching but even half would have made us a 41 win team. There was a lot of X and O reasons, injury reasons and politics why we failed last year. I don’t think we were worse than where we landed, and you can easily argue we should have been a lot better.

[@dougnorrie]

Yeah I just don’t see if that way. Their offensive and defensive ratings were of a bottom third team. Their Pythagorean record was worse than where they finished.

[@christopherjones5085]

Fans gotta stop a acting like we automatically get the #1 pick in the draft because we will suck, we can be a 10 win team and still land outside the top 3 picks in the draft. Wins and loses don't matter this season that" purposely tanking to get the #1 pick" stop working years ago.

[@johnzak3119]

You are right. The bottom 3 teams will all have the same percentages to end up with the #1, #2, #3, or #4 pick in the draft.

[@dougnorrie]

No one is saying they are a lock. Just that they are increasing their odds for a top pick in a stacked draft

[@clashbandicoot793]

Love Doug's comment regarding Jordan Poole..."super low IQ basketball...great tank commander"

[@claudesmith9422]

Tanking is unethical. It robs the fans, players, and the coaching staff of seeing a team's best efforts. The goal of playing the game is to do everything possible to win. Tanking as a strategy to put a team in a position to get a high draft pick might achieve that result but a high pick might not necessarily pan out to be the right pick. If we begin the season with Ben, Schroder, Bogdanovic, DFS, and Cam Johnson on the roster, they have every incentive to put in their bet effort. Our young reserves have every incentive to give us their best efforts. Jordi have incentive to push this team to win as many games as possible. There's always a possibility we could have a breakout season. Why risk hampering that with a tank strategy. If we want a top 5 or 10 draft pick, next season, to target a particular player, we should trade some of our assets (draft picks) to get one.

[@RayJ90]

Not to mention these guys forget that this brand new head coach wants to come in and establish a winning culture and you don’t get off on the right foot with that by purposely putting yourself in position to lose and adopt losing habits for the sake of one player.

[@claudesmith9422]

Regardless of how anyone come to the conclusion that Jordi Fernandez is an upgrade over Jacque Vaughn and Kevin Ollie as the head coach of the Nets, their opinion is subjective. If Jordi coach the Nets to a higher win total, next season, than this past season, then a case could possibly be made. But there's no pressure on him to do that is it? Isn't it because there's a secret agenda to tank? If it is, Jordi is a lucky fellow. It'll be heaven for any coach for not having the pressure to push his team to win as many games as they could.

[@djdeedame]

I was able to use next years rosters on NBA 2K25 and simmed through next season. -Nets only won 9 games -Traded Johnson &Finney-Smith during the season for picks -Had to redo the draft lottery at least five times before they got the #1 pick -Drafted Cooper Flagg -Signed Jimmy Butler (opted out) -Signed Lonzo Ball -Signed Bol Bol -Resigned Cam Thomas to extension -Resigned Jalen Wilson -Lost Day’Ron & Ziaire

[@atrain3707]

I don’t know how people are excited about tanking. How the hell are fans supposed to pay and watch that garbage. These organizations these days are pathetic. The players are signing up for this? Lost respect for this. And I been a fan for good while

[@thecmancan]

Yea, no business ever take losses or suffer setbacks. It's always smooth sailing, all the time. Tanking is a path to return to contention FASTER than hanging on like morons like the Bulls or Clippers are doing.

[@claudesmith9422]

I agree

[@RayJ90]

Because they’re “assuming” they’re going to get a top 2 or 3 pick

[@jbeachboy100]

no team tanks, this team still has alot of talent to be giving games away. tanking always backfires, worst team usualy never gets top pick.

[@dougnorrie]

Didn’t backfire for the Spurs

[@RayJ90]

The whole problem with the tanking narrative is that there’s not going to be much motivation from the team and coaching staff to just lose, Jordi Fernandez maybe an upgrade and is going to be looking to prove himself as a first time coach Clax is going to want to show and prove why he’s worth the money he’s gotten Cam wants to prove himself as a leader and a star while also being in a contract year, and despite how bad some may believe the rest of the roster is all those guys are looking to establish themselves in the NBA and winning helps their case. Then as much as most don’t want to deal with it the fact is Bojan Bogdanovic, Cam Johnson, DFS, and Dennis Schroder are all still on this roster.

[@clashbandicoot793]

Adam with the Gustsau quote!!

[@chirocket4791]

Pistons nearly set the all time loss record, and got the 5th pick.

[@RayJ90]

Exactly…while Atlanta made the play in and got the first pick smh

[@jaymanjay3.0]

I don’t think the Nets should be necessarily keyed in on Cooper Flagg. This draft is probably five deep. That means the top five guys could easily go number 1 in any other draft. I’m not even sure Flagg has the highest upside. I think Acy Bailey probably does. For me I’d want to swing for the Fences on an Ace Bailey with very high offensive upside rather than a high floor player like Flagg who is more of a defensive stopper. We already have Nic Claxton and Noah Clowney who are closer to the Flagg archatype. We don’t have a guy like Bailey a dynamic 6”9 offensive threat.

[@claudesmith9422]

I feel the same way about Cooper Flagg. I'm partial to Dylan Harper.

[@popestark]

Agree on this

[@FBAChillWillCertified]

The Tanking Angle" will BackFire As Usual" No Basketball Gods Hovering Over This Team" Will Go Through All Of The tanking Crap, For a 6-7 Pick"

[@chirocket4791]

Last season this pod claimed the Nets could make the play in. Now they were lucky to get the wins they had last season. Reality after the fact.

[@dougnorrie]

What’s your point ?

[@RayJ90]

Not only that but with all the upheaval that occurred last season these guys are claiming last years team wasn’t even the 32 win team that they were smh

[@MrEatHearty]

Nice reminder how bad we gonna be next year

[@RayJ90]

I think you guys seemed to forget about Bojan Bogdanovic

[@dougnorrie]

We did not forget about him

[@RayJ90]

@@dougnorrie ok because he alone can replace everything offensively that Bridges brought to the Nets and not mention Dennis Schroder can consistently give 15 and 6 assists and even though many Nets fans aren’t high on him fact is there aren’t many NON-star point guards in the NBA better than him. Now if you guys and Fan Duel are definitely assuming that those guys plus Cam Johnson and DFS are gone then I get it.

[@chirocket4791]

Cam Thomas fits as the tank commander. Volume shooter putting up points.

[@tonywebb3709]

23 plus wins stamp it

[@afrolore7462]

We're gonna be ass son 😅

[@kevinscott9242]

Bridges was traded for Bojan Bogdanovic. Scored over 20pts/game last 2 seasons for Detroit. Why does everyone pretend like we don't have him? Am I missing something?

[@easyjay8865]

He'll be traded...

[@kevinscott9242]

@easyjay8865 He does make 19mil .won't be easy. But even so, no one pretends DFS & Cam J aren't on team. There should be talked about what we'll get for him? Will they wait til the deadline? His potential playing time. It's just bizarre that no one even says his name

[@RayJ90]

These guys are assuming that he Cam Johnson Schroder and DFS will be gone by the season which I don’t believe will happen but I’m with you Bojan alone can replace Bridges offensive production.

[@kevincastleberry2755]

It just me or is there a little bit of excitement around tanking and thinking gloriously about our future? Idk, I’d rather be horrible with a potential great future then meddling and no man land like the Bulls.

[@NetsrepBK]

18 and 63

[@dougnorrie]

You're one game short

[@NetsrepBK]

@@dougnorrie 18 n 64 💀

[@claudesmith9422]

@@NetsrepBK LOL

[@orenspiegel2162]

Im gonna go under: at 14 games

[@jackdawson5490]

How are people complaining about tanking in the comments? Do you people understand that there’s no way the nets were going to compete this year? Would you really rather witn at most like 10 games than have a chance at the top pick?