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To become great, you have to envision yourself as great first. NBA players have often taken that motto and run with it. Sometimes, that leads to boastful and more true-to-the-point, head-scratching remarks.
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How much of that applies to what Michael Porter Jr. recently said? There’s no way to know for sure right now. Not until next season, the 2026-27 campaign, wraps up.
Still, look at what the Brooklyn Nets went through last year. Then look at where the bookies have them now. Head-scratching might fit just fine.
MPJ believes in these Nets
Porter Jr. isn’t shy about saying something bold. Usually, that boldness has nothing to do with basketball. This Nets prediction? Somewhat of an outlier in that regard.
How did that prediction come about in the first place? During a recent video with N3on, MPJ said he doesn’t know what the expectations are for the 2026-27 Nets. But they’re “definitely going to surpass them.”
After the 2023 NBA champion said it, N3on pushed further. Asked if that also meant the Nets would hit the 50-win mark. Porter Jr. didn’t hesitate, stating, “Yeah, I do.”
Anyone who’d heard MPJ’s comments in the video wouldn’t have been too surprised. He had been speaking about the Nets’ potential in the highest terms, especially when it came to the chemistry he expects to build with new teammate Julius Randle.
“He can draw a double team,” the 6’10” forward said. “He can get downhill, draw a double team and then swing it to me. I can shoot the three.”
Randle arrived in July as part of a four-team trade. Came over from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The deal also sent a first-round pick to Brooklyn.
As for the prediction itself? Randle does carry a reputation as a physical post-up player.
The three-time All-Star, going downhill, hasn’t really shown up on the eye test over the last couple of years. What isn’t up for debate, though, is that Porter can, in fact, shoot the three.
Across seven seasons in the league, he’s averaged 6.4 attempts from downtown per contest. Sinking them at just under 40 percent.
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Brooklyn’s projected win total
Porter’s plan? Lean on what he and Randle do best and rack up wins next season. Plausible enough on paper. But two guys can’t carry a team by themselves. The rest of the roster has to hold up its end, too. That, however, is something Porter Jr. fully expects to happen.
“All of our young guys from last year got so much better,” the 28-year-old emphasized.
Making that even better, Brooklyn has another player coming who fits right into that pipeline: Mikel Brown Jr. The 6’5″ point guard went sixth overall in the draft out of Louisville.
Still, there are some doubts worth mentioning. What’s described above might not be enough to take a team from 20 wins one season to 50 the next. Most bookies seem to think the same.
As for the regular-season win total, “FanDuel” has the line at 24.5 wins. That’s -105 on the over and -120 on the under. Do the math and you’ll see what that means for MPJ actually getting the Nets to double what the bookies expect.
Still, this is the NBA. Anything can happen. Therefore, you can’t write off MPJ’s claim just yet. For it to even start taking shape, though, Brooklyn will definitely need a great start.
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