Porter Jr.: Nets Home Games Felt Like Road Games

Michael Porter Jr. had an eye-opening experience in his first year with the Brooklyn Nets, saying home games at Barclays Center felt like road games.

He revealed that more Philadelphia 76ers fans attended last Thursday's preseason home opener than Nets fans. Philadelphia trotted out its star-studded starting lineup, with LeBron James making his debut with his new squad.

The 76ers have high expectations this season after trading for Jaylen Brown and signing James at the veteran's minimum. Fans will travel to support, and Brooklyn is about 2.5 hours from Philadelphia.

Porter also said that when Brooklyn hosts the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, their fans fill most of the arena. Those teams are the most storied franchises in NBA history, and barring Los Angeles, New York and Boston aren't too far from Barclays Center.

The 28-year-old said he wants Nets fans back in the arena and to be louder than the opposing team's fans.

Brooklyn needs to win games for its fans to show support. The team missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and finished 20-62 last season.

Losing could deter fans from watching the Nets, and they saw how it impacted Porter. The 6-foot-10 forward lost motivation to work out in the gym after being snubbed from the All-Star game because the team wasn't winning games and wasn't trending toward making the playoffs.

He had a career season, averaging 24.2 points on 36.3% from three and 7.1 rebounds, but his career-best wasn't enough to earn an All-Star selection.

Brooklyn fans recently saw their crosstown rival, New York, hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy for the first time in over 50 years. The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games, led by Jalen Brunson's clutch fourth-quarter performances.

Nets owner Joe Tsai said it was an embarrassment to see his rival win the NBA Finals. While New York reached the mountaintop, Brooklyn tanked in back-to-back seasons for lottery picks.

General manager Sean Marks bolstered a young roster with more lottery talent and veteran presence to start winning games. He drafted Mikel Brown Jr. with the sixth pick and traded for Julius Randle the night before the NBA Draft.

Brown made his preseason debut on Wednesday against the Miami Heat. The rookie scored 15 points, dished three assists and grabbed three rebounds.

Randle is a nice addition to the Nets' free-flowing offense, and his playmaking has transformed the team's pace. The team averaged 12.3 fast-break points last season (27th), and it's improved to 17.8 this preseason.

Winning is the only way this dilemma will turn around and for Porter to see more Nets fans in Barclays Center.