Brooklyn Nets
Mid-season grade: B
The Brooklyn Nets have had a pretty interesting progression so far this season. They started off as an overachieving underdog but in recent weeks, they've begun to make the strong pivot toward a rebuilding team. It was expected but it is interesting to see it all come together. Over the last few weeks, the Nets have traded Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schroder. The belief is that the team is also in talks to trade Cameron Johnson and perhaps another player or two before the NBA Trade Deadline.
If there is any nitpicking with this team, it probably revolves around the fact that they kind of hurt themselves with such a strong start to the season. The Nets were 9-10 through the first 19 games of the season and it put them at a disadvantage in terms of the pursuit of a top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Since then, the Nets are just 5-17. However, the damage has been done and currently, Brooklyn is projected to pick seventh in the upcoming draft. That's not exactly ideal for a team that is looking to kick-start a brand-new build.
Charlotte Hornets
Mid-season grade: C
The Charlotte Hornets, on paper, should be considered to have one of the best young cores in the Eastern Conference. And while they've certainly shown some signs of development through the first half of this season, the Hornets continue to be a team that leaves much to be desired in terms of wins and losses. The Hornets could end up winning fewer games than last year and considering the supposed development of this core, that would not be considered a good sign moving forward for the franchise.
Even though there have been individual strides made by some of their young players statistically so far this season, something does feel off for the Hornets at the moment. Maybe I'm completely overreacting to a rough first half of the season and we see this team slightly turn the winning up in the second half of the year. I don't know. But if the wins don't start coming in more frequently soon, there are some big questions that the Hornets may have to answer about the direction of the team.