NBA

Why Jordi Fernandez is exactly what this Nets team needs

ballervisions 2026年1月17日

Winning is not the job in Brooklyn right now. Growing up.

This Nets team probably won’t be able to compete today, tomorrow, or anytime soon. Unless endurance is a box score category.

The process may be frustrating, but Jordi Fernández appears to be the ideal coach for the long, unglamorous road ahead.

The second-year coach is built to slow down, managing the critical mindset of his young players with a combination of patience, constructive criticism, and encouragement.

Tough Love Pays Off

Fernández had no problem pointing out where his younger players failed, both in private and in public. Each rookie took a turn under the spotlight, with Fernández addressing his concerns to the media when necessary.

His messages are clear and direct, and often come with immediate results.

After rookie Drake Powell played just over two minutes in a 119-111 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Dec. 12, Fernández was unhappy with his decision to sideline the rookie. When asked about the limited time of the 20-year-old player, he made it clear that Powell’s performance up to that point was not up to his level.

“These young guys have to understand how important every minute you play is,” said Fernández. “If the goals are there, I’m absolutely fine. But if the mistakes are a little out of the game, that’s not how we do it here.”

Powell responded the next game by scoring 13 points while adding four rebounds, three assists, and a steal in Brooklyn’s 127-82 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

He continued to show strong improvement on both ends of the floor last month, highlighted by a game-high 16 points in Wednesday’s 116-113 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, and even knocked down a clutch three to cut the deficit with five seconds left.

Powell said he accepts the honesty and understands where Fernández was coming from.

“I respect him for that,” Powell said of Fernandez. “It just shows that he cares about me, not just about me as a basketball player, but as a person.”

After the Dallas game, he delivered a similar, but shorter, message to rookie Egor Demin, who shot just 14 percent from the field while forcing several contested attempts.

“He has to be better, otherwise the minutes will decrease, and someone else will take advantage,” said Fernández.

Demin responded with his statement game, leading Brooklyn with 17 points against Milwaukee and carrying that momentum all month. At this point in the season, he ranks second among all rookies with 79 three-pointers made on 39.1% shooting and is on pace to break Kerry Kittles’ franchise record of 158 three-pointers. In addition, in the month of January, he shot better and made threes than Kon Knueppel in one fewer game.

Fernández’s criticism is direct, but also balanced. As soon as he challenges his young players, he is keen to give them credit where it is due. Not even a week after calling out the two players, he highlighted the way they are going back.

“I think they both did a great job. We knew that was in them,” said Fernández. “Our guys care about us and we know how much they do, especially these two kids. They came back and did the best for the team and their performance was at our level.”

For inexperienced players who are still getting used to grooming, sometimes they just need to be reminded of what they can do.

A Different View of the G League

For many organizations, being sent to the G League can feel like a punishment.

For Jordi Fernández, who spent several seasons as the head coach of the Canton Charge, the league is viewed as a development tool that allows players to write meaningful live reps as they adapt to the speed and intensity of professional basketball.

“We have a plan that we are working on. It is important for the players to see which way to improve,” said Fernández. “I have been in the G League as a coach. All of our players but one have played in the G League. It is something we accept and believe in.”

All but one Nets rookie — Demin — has spent time with Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, as Fernández maintains a consistent line of communication with the development staff in Uniondale.

Danny Wolf’s freshman performance of 25 points, followed by 13 against the Capital City Go-Go’s on November 10, showed the forward’s continuity between both sticks.

“We’re a great team. My coaching position here and my coaching position back in Brooklyn are interconnected,” Wolf said. “They talk about the same things, they watch the same film and they help me. They do a great job sharing ideas with each other.”

By the end of the month, the Michigan product was ready for consistent NBA action, scoring a career-high 22 points while adding four assists and four rebounds in a 116-99 loss to Milwaukee.

In the span of three months, fellow first-round pick Nolan Traore went from struggling in the G League and looking unplayable at the NBA level to earning a call-up and averaging 21.6 minutes per game in Brooklyn this month.

“He took full advantage of the opportunities he got on Long Island,” said Fernández. “And when he came back here, he did it with a different spirit and with a lot of confidence.”

Just this week, Grant Nelson of Long Island, who played for Brooklyn in Summer League and training camp, credited the teams playing in Brooklyn and Long Island for helping him overcome knee pain that has plagued him since his freshman year in college five years ago.

“I think it shows how well the staff is doing here and what they’ve done to get me back on the court and ready when I get back on the court,” Nelson told ND’s Scott Mitchell. “The staff did a great job, and everyone cared about me, which really meant a lot.”

Let the Work Show

While the process doesn’t need to be rushed, each team’s investment seems to be on the upswing, despite the scrutiny and confusion that follows the team’s draft decisions.

What was once asked about coordinating three players “in one situation” seemed to be far from it. While the media guide may list Demin, Traore and Ben Saraf as point guards, Fernández has found a way to emphasize their unique abilities to the benefit of the team.

Meanwhile, Powell’s power was developed to make him look like a value pick after serving in a limited role in college, while Wolf surprised many by translating his unique combination of size and communication to the NBA after earning Fernández’s trust.

So far, so good. The Nets were heavily criticized on Draft Night for using five first-round picks, the first time any team has done so. Another problem was that many started at the same time. It will be some time before the final grades are given but for now, the professor and his students seem to be doing well.