Jordi Fernandez Praises Haywood Highsmith; Nets Forward on Track for Season Start

For a multitude of reasons, Haywood Highsmith is a perfect fit for the Brooklyn Nets. His style of play aligns with exactly what head coach Jordi Fernandez looks for in a player. Highsmith's tenure with the Miami Heat produced irreplaceable experience, including a run to the NBA Finals in 2023, which should be of great use to the franchise's youngsters.

Both of those aspects were already known and were the exact reasons Fernandez pointed to when discussing how the veteran wing can contribute.

“Obviously, one thing that can help you learn is real minutes and the other one is having somebody in front of you who knows how to do it,” Fernandez said, courtesy of ClutchPoints' Erik Slater. “I have a lot of respect for Haywood, what he’s done in his career. That’s why we want him here, because what we want to accomplish, that’s how he plays. How hard he plays, his experience in the finals. He can be very valuable right now to help us compete and win games, but also to develop the young guys.”

Fans knew what Highsmith would bring to the team, they just didn't know when it would happen. Well, now we have an answer. Highsmith revealed his timetable at Nets media day—and it's excellent news for the squad entering its second year of a complete rebuild.

“Right now, I’m six-and-a-half weeks out of surgery, so I’m doing light jogging, spot-shooting, movements and workouts,” he said via Slater on Saturday. “I'm not 100 percent, [doing] light contact. The plan for me is to be ready for the start of the regular season. Yes, that's the plan.”

Highsmith's presence will be huge for the development of the team's young forwards, just as Fernandez pointed out. The positive impact he could have on the likes of UNC product Drake Powell is undeniable, given how similar the three-and-D specialists' styles of play are. Plus, Powell is currently rehabbing from an injury himself, something that Highsmith may also be able to assist him with, especially when it comes to keeping a positive mindset.

“It's kinda like a mindset, a physicality thing, toughness thing, and just letting this team know that it's gonna be a tough night for them bringing the ball up the court. I've talked to Jordi and the assistant coaches a couple of times about having defense really be the staple of this team," Highsmith continued.

If Highsmith can help establish a defensive identity comparable to that of the Miami Heat, Brooklyn will take another step closer to solidifying its culture for years to come.