The Brooklyn Nets have quietly turned things around.
December has been very good to them. They are 7 and 3 this month. That is impressive for a team sitting 13th in the East. Before December, the season looked lost. They were 3 and 16. Now they stand at 10 and 19. That shift matters.
A lot of credit goes to head coach Jordi Fernandez. He has kept the group together. He has also found ways to win with limited help.
Michael Porter Jr. has been the biggest reason. With Cam Thomas out, Porter stepped up as the main scorer. He carried the offense and looked like a star.
Then Cam Thomas came back.
After missing 20 games with a hamstring injury, Thomas finally returned against the Timberwolves. The Nets clearly felt his presence right away.
Thomas did not ease into things. He exploded. He scored 30 points. He added 3 rebounds and 4 assists. He did all of that in just 20 minutes. He also came off the bench. That made the performance even more impressive.
Minnesota is not an easy team to score against. Thomas did it anyway. He looked sharp. He looked confident. He looked healthy.
His return gave the Nets a boost. The energy felt different. The offense opened up.
After the game, teammates made it clear how important Thomas is.
Day’Ron Sharpe said it was great to have him back. He said Thomas brings elite scoring from everywhere on the floor. He said he sees it every day in practice. He said the team felt better with him out there.
Sharpe also pointed to the bigger picture. He said having two elite scorers in Porter and Thomas changes everything. He said if the defense stays strong, the ceiling is high.
That creates an interesting situation for Brooklyn.
Porter’s name has been all over trade rumors. Teams want him. The Nets could get strong assets in return. That is tempting.
But now there is another option. Keep this group together. See how far it goes.
December has shown real progress. The Nets are competitive again. They have momentum. They have confidence.
Trade talks will not disappear. But for the first time this season, Brooklyn has choices.
