The Brooklyn Nets’ record isn’t where they want it to be, but they’re showing signs of improvement in the early season. 

Over the first couple of weeks of the NBA season, the Nets have quickly been written off as one of the worst teams in the league. After spending the past three years in the lottery, the Nets came into this season looking to get back on track and play winning basketball. 

However, the Nets’ 0-5 start made things seem as if Brooklyn was set for yet another bad season. On Sunday night, the Nets began their effort to turn things around with a win in Indiana against the Pacers. 

Avenging their loss to Indiana from earlier in the season, the Nets might finally be turning a corner. Although the talent gap they have against some of the top teams will still be on display at times, the Nets’ ability to compete and play to their strengths for a full 48 minutes could be enough to rack up some wins. 

With the pressure of getting the first win of the season now gone, the Nets will be looking to build on their early signs of success and get into the postseason picture. Without much separation in the Eastern Conference standings thus far, the Nets haven’t exactly dug a hole. 

With plenty of time to get the season going in the right direction, Brooklyn could soon find itself in the midst of the postseason picture. Of course, finding itself there throughout an 82-game season is a much different story than climbing into that picture in November. 

Still, the Nets have shown they can play solid basketball and compete against most teams on a nightly basis. Even in the Nets’ early losses, they showed that they are more than capable of being in games down to the final possessions. 

As seen in the loss in Boston, the Nets’ youth will still be on display in those moments, but the veteran presence of Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle and others could be enough to lift Brooklyn some nights. As Brooklyn shifts its focus to its first battle of the season against the defending champion Knicks, it should be able to play more freely and more confidently. 

It won’t be easy for the Nets to string together wins in such a deep Eastern Conference, but they’ve at least shown they have a foundation of competitive basketball.