“I don’t hate the Nets. I just don’t think they should exist.” Brother, that is quite literally hating the Nets. 😭 Calling this the “worst rebuild in NBA history” is equally ridiculous. Brooklyn has the NBA’s youngest roster, multiple intriguing prospects, significant financial flexibility and 10 tradable first-round picks. And how exactly does the Mikal Bridges trade “suck” because the Knicks are good? Brooklyn traded a player who didn’t fit its timeline for one of the largest draft hauls ever. You don’t have to believe in every prospect. You don’t have to predict the Nets will make the playoffs. But pretending this franchise has no direction or future is just lazy analysis. Bill Simmons doesn’t hate the Nets, though. Definitely not.

The Brooklyn Nets are 3–0 with a 120.6 offensive rating, 104.9 defensive rating and +15.7 net rating. Yes, it’s preseason. But this isn’t only the result of hot shooting. There are several legitimate reasons why everything is clicking for Jordi Fernández’s squad. It starts with Julius Randle. Brooklyn finally has a physical on-ball creator who can collapse a defense without stopping the offense. He isn’t simply hunting his own shot, but he’s operating as a hub, reading help and delivering the ball on time. His nine first-half assists against Washington showed how much easier he can make the game for everyone else. Then there’s Michael Porter Jr. His off-ball gravity changes the geometry of the floor. Defenders cannot comfortably help off a 6-foot-10 movement shooter, which creates wider driving lanes for Randle, Egor Dëmin and Nolan Traoré. MPJ is averaging 19 points in only 20.4 minutes while shooting 63.6% from the field and 46.2% from three. The young guards are taking advantage. Dëmin looks stronger and more willing to touch the paint. Traoré’s speed is finally being paired with control and a respectable jumper. Instead of aimless perimeter possessions, Brooklyn is consistently forcing the defense to collapse before kicking the ball back out. That has created a simple offensive formula: touch the paint, force help, make the next pass and take the open shot. Brooklyn is averaging 123 points and 27.7 assists while leading the preseason in effective field-goal percentage. The shooting will cool down, but the quality of the looks is encouraging. Defensively, the Nets are leaning into their positional size and depth. Keon Ellis pressures the ball, the young wings are active in passing lanes and the second unit plays with real pace and aggression. Brooklyn ranks third in forced turnovers and has repeatedly converted those takeaways into easy transition offense. That connection between defense and offense might be the most important development. The Nets scored 31 points off turnovers against Charlotte, 23 against Philadelphia and 29 against Washington, and have 83 points through three games. They aren’t being asked to create everything against a set half-court defense because their activity is generating easier opportunities. There are still warning signs. Brooklyn’s defensive rebounding and rim protection remain questions. Washington scored 122, shot 47.2% from three and attempted 29 free throws. The Nets also committed 18 turnovers themselves. Against better regular-season execution, those mistakes will be punished. And no, Brooklyn isn’t going to maintain a 61.4% effective field-goal percentage. Yet the encouraging part is that the Nets already have an identity: play fast, touch the paint, move the ball, pressure opponents and use their depth. The percentages will normalize. The structure doesn’t have to disappear with them. Three preseason games don’t prove Brooklyn is suddenly a contender, at least they’re further along than people expected.