This one was over early — and we mean early. 

After going down 14-0 to start and never posing a threat, the Nets looked uncharacteristically disengaged. The thrashing the Nets experienced against the Sixers in Game 5 was a cruel way to finish to an expectation-beating, All-Star-forming, 42-win season. 

There was no storybook ending, but looking at the way the season ended is an unfair way to judge the progress made in 2018-19. That’s why we’re using this grades post to take a look back at the progress made this season, and what to look forward to. 

We asked how our followers would remember this season, and many mentioned bouncing back from the 8-18 start to the season. That was the point many thought the Nets should tank — especially after Caris LeVert went down with what looked like a gut-wrenching season-ending injury. 

But the team continued to prove it was meant for more. Brooklyn responded to that slow start with a 7-game win streak, with the breakout of players such as D’Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie to lead the way. 

The no-quit style of play became the Nets’ signature, and boy was it fun to watch. Brooklyn drew fans in by its gritty, no-quit play, including some dramatic come-from-behind wins to show that tanking was not a possibility. The heroics to beat the Rockets and Kings were two of the most thrilling games to witness in recent Nets memory and showed the league what the team was capable of.

The Nets also experience the comeback of LeVert, who most thought would not see the court again this season. Instead of crumbling without him, the Nets came together and responded with competitive basketball in his 42-game absence. Brooklyn also finished out the final stretch of the season as Dinwiddie healed his thumb. Players stepped up as others fell, and that depth was a strength of Brooklyn’s year. 

On their way to a 42-win season and the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, the year far-and-away exceeded expectations. A group that enjoyed working with each other, led by a dedicated coaching staff, can go a long way. The 14-win increase from the 2017-18 season was just one landmark of that. 

Then came the playoffs, the first appearance for Brooklyn since 2015. The sixth seed was well-earned, and many thought Brooklyn could give the Sixers a run for their money. An impressive Game 1 on the road gave hope, but the Nets lost some tough ones at home. While the opportunity to even up the series will always hang in the balance, the lessons learned (and the blood boiled) in this series will have a lasting impact. 

We’ll get to individual players’ improvements below, but this season was all about setting a foundation. Pieces will move in the offseason, and a big free agent may come, but this was a season that showed what has been brewing in Brooklyn — and what this can grow into. It was special, and can continue to be. 

As Kenny Atkinson said in his post-game press conference, “Seasons like this don’t come around much in sports.” 

The pain of loss ended in a season of opportunity, sooner than most expected.

After finding success and reaching the playoffs, are better things to come? It’s pretty difficult to not think so. Even with moving parts, the development made and the plan in place cannot be denied. 

Game 5 did not show what the Nets proved this year, and it’s always tough to say goodbye to a team (especially to the All-Star YES Network broadcasting crew) — but it’s just another step for what’s next. After a season of surprises and statements, the Brooklyn Net have the tools to accomplish greater things. 

And in typical Nets fashion, the extent to what they achieve will catch us all by surprise.