"Jordi Fernández arrived in Brooklyn with a diverse global résumé, highlighted by extensive coaching experience in the G League, NBA and on the international stage. Along the way, he built a strong reputation as a player developer and defensive-minded strategist, and those qualities became evident in his first season as Brooklyn's head coach. The Nets may have finished 26-56 and outside the playoff picture, but Fernández's first season still carried the feel of a step forward."
"More than the numbers, though, the season's true progress was in the culture Fernández and his staff began to build, where accountability, buy-in and belief gave the year its sense of purpose. The biggest challenge entering Year 2, beyond pushing the Nets back into playoff contention, is integrating a young core of five first-rounders while continuing to reshape the team's identity."
"After star-chasing gambles that defined the franchise's last half-decade failed, Brooklyn finally pivoted to patience, becoming the first team in NBA history to draft five first-rounders in a single night: BYU's Egor Demin (No. 8), France's Nolan Traoré (No. 19), North Carolina's Drake Powell (No. 22), Israel's Ben Saraf (No. 26) and Michigan's Danny Wolf (No. 27). Executives laughed. Agents rolled their eyes. To many around the league, Brooklyn's plan looked more like a punchline than a path forward."
Jordi Fernández brought wide-ranging coaching experience and a reputation for player development and defense to Brooklyn, and those traits surfaced during his first season. The Nets went 26-56 but played with grit, edge, ball movement, pace control and defensive effort despite injuries and turnover. Cultural shifts emphasized accountability, buy-in and belief, creating a clear sense of purpose. Year 2 priorities include returning to playoff contention while integrating a young core of five first-round picks and further reshaping team identity. The organization prioritized patience, selecting five first-rounders in a single draft night and committing to development.
Read at New York Daily News
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