Nets Players Pour Praise on HC Jordi Fernández

Brooklyn Nets players heaped praise on head coach Jordi Fernández following his first season on the job.

“I appreciate Jordi just being consistent every day,” Ziaire Williams said. “He's always gonna tell you exactly how it is straight up, and that's how I was taught and raised, so I love that method. I think it's really the only method to winning: [it’s] holding each other accountable, and just being there for one another.” 

Williams averaged 10 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game on a career-high 34.1% from three in his first season with Brooklyn. His 63 games was also a career-high. Fernández also previously lauded the improvements to Williams’ shot.

The former Stanford wing is about to be an unrestricted free agent. Williams’ qualifying offer is $7.9 million, but Sportrac projects his next contract to be a veteran minimum. 

“We're a special team, and we got a lot of potential,” Williams said. “We just keep our heads down and keep working.” 

Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe are also facing restricted free agency. Both also had kind words to say about Fernández.

"It was definitely great, just seeing the vision of what Jordi wants us to play like, and just seeing everybody buy into it was definitely dope to be a part of," Thomas said. "We competed hard, and we gave [opponents] our best game for sure just playing hard, making threes, and just being a tough team."

Thomas scored a career-best 24 points per game with Brooklyn this season, but he was limited to 25 games due to an assortment of injuries. The Nets’ sharpshooter was shut down on March 15 due to a left hamstring strain.

Sharpe added: “He tell[s] us, like, ‘If we mess up, don't even take it hard on yourself.’” 

The fourth-year big also enjoyed the most productive season of his NBA career. Sharpe averaged 7.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.6 ‘stocks,’ all highs for him. Sportrac projects his next contract to be a three-year, $30 million deal.

Nets general manager Sean Marks said at his end-of-season media appearance that “it's always great when you are able to draft [players], like those two specifically,” and have the opportunity to sign them to their second NBA contracts.

“I look forward to the summer and look forward to those conversations with their agents, and we'll see where it all plays out,” Marks said. “But I do think it's important to be able to keep your homegrown talent.”