The Brooklyn Nets are gearing up for a tough road ahead after trading veteran point guard Dennis Schroder to the Golden State Warriors. Schroder is having a career year, putting up 18.4 points and a personal-best 6.6 assists per game. Not to mention, he’s hitting 38.7% of his threes and boasting a career-high true shooting percentage of 58.8%.

Schroder was just too effective for Brooklyn’s long-term goals. His solid performance this season was starting to mess with their bigger picture, making it tough for the team to prioritize their future. Simply put, he was doing too much on the court. So, when the trade deadline rolled around, Brooklyn wasted no time.

But his absence doesn’t sting Jordi Fernandez.

When asked about missing Schroder’s leadership after the loss against the Cavaliers, the Spanish coach replied, “That’s not in my mind. I don’t care. I love him. I’m happy for him, but he’s not here. So right now I’m fighting with my guys, and the ones that’re here have to fight. And if they don’t fight, there’s going to be consequences.”

On Monday, before the match, rookie head coach Fernandez sounded upbeat about the Nets pushing through their current struggles. He highlighted Ben Simmons’ speed as a potential edge over Dennis Schroder, and honestly, he might have a point. Brooklyn’s pace has been painfully slow this season—they’re dead last in the league with just 97.01 possessions per 48 minutes, according to NBA.com. That leaves a lot of room for improvement.

But here’s the tricky part: Ben’s shooting—or lack of it. The guy hasn’t even looked at the three-point line this season, which could clog up the floor. Spacing is going to be an issue, and the Nets will have to get creative to work around it. Fernandez, though, remained optimistic that Simmons could kick the tempo up a notch.

How did the Nets fare in their first outing without Dennis Schroder?

The Brooklyn Nets got a brutal wake-up call Monday night, getting blown out 130-101 by the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers. Kenny Atkinson, back at Barclays Center as an opposing head coach for the first time, didn’t go easy on his former team.

Without Dennis Schroder, Brooklyn’s offense looked lost. The pick-and-roll disappeared, paint touches plummeted, and their three-pointers felt more like hopeful tosses than well-executed looks. Most possessions ended in desperation heaves as the shot clock expired. A few went in, but you knew they weren’t the shots Brooklyn wanted.

The Nets coughed up the ball 20 times—matching their season high—and had just 13 made field goals by halftime, the same number as their turnovers. It wasn’t just sloppy ball-handling; they desperately missed Schroder’s ability to generate offense. The half-court game, where Schroder had cooked opponents all season, was a mess.

Cam Johnson, Brooklyn’s best shooter, admitted the team is searching for answers. “It’s a little different. We just got to figure it out and kind of re-establish what it is that works and gives us results,” he said.

This performance is the harsh reality of trading the German point guard.

Brooklyn made the move for long-term assets, knowing it would take a toll on their current offense. But let’s be real—nights like this are tough to swallow. It won’t always be this ugly, but it won’t be pretty either. The Nets have to regroup, redefine their system, and find a rhythm without their former floor general. Until then, it’s going to be a grind.