Unfair Judgement On First-Year Nets Head Coach

The NBA playoffs are underway, but the Brooklyn Nets have shifted their attention to the offseason. The organization has officially begun rebuilding the team to prepare for the future. While Nets players have publicly expressed their approval of him, an anonymous player poll gave a low rating for Coach Jordi Fernandez.

Unfair Judgment On First-Year Nets Head Coach

Fernandez completed his first NBA season as head coach with the Nets, finishing with a disappointing 26-56 record and placing 12th in the Eastern Conference. Before transitioning to the NBA, he achieved success with Team Canada, earning a bronze medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. He also guided Canada to the 2024 Olympics, marking their first Olympic appearance since 2000.

After moving to the United States, Fernandez progressed in his career, starting as head coach of the Canton Charge in the NBA G League. He eventually advanced to assistant coaching roles with the Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings, showcasing his commitment and skill at every level.

Low Rating For Coach Jordi Fernandez

The Athletic’s annual anonymous player poll represents one-third of the league, with players from all 30 teams. Writers interviewed 158 players and received their perspectives. Fernandez received 2.7% of 73 votes for one of the worst coaches in the NBA. He tied with Michael Malone, the former coach of the Denver Nuggets.

Fernandez received low ratings in response to a question that did not get many responses. Sam Amick and Josh Robbins of The Athletic noted that most players polled did not answer the question, “Aside from your own current coach, who is the worst coach in the league?” They reported that one player responded. “I’m not answering because I think the coaches are really good now. You could pick one of the bottom-feeders, like (redacted coach from a bad team), but I’ve had (him as a coach), and he’s good and it’s not his fault.”

Respect Of The Players

Is it fair to judge Fernandez, considering injuries plagued the Nets throughout the season? Additionally, the team traded key contributors to early-season wins, like Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith. One might wonder how Nets players responded, as no negative comments about the coach have been shared publicly.

During the end-of-season exit interviews with Lucas Kaplan of the Nets Daily, D’Angelo Russell shared about Fernandez’s ability to inspire belief in both players and staff.

“When I came here not too long ago, I felt that, you know, everybody believed in their coach,” he said. “And you saw it, from all the staff to all the players, to Sean, all those guys believe in coach.”

“So to see what he was doing behind the scenes, to kind of make that go.”  Russell continued, “It was that genuine feel that he has. He gives you that vibe that you want to play for him.”

The Future

Fernandez does not consider his first season as head coach a failure. Sports Illustrated’s Wilko Martinez Cachero reported Fernandez’s reflection on his first season as head coach.

“The best thing that you guys have not been able to see is the day to day. What you guys see is the product on the floor,” Fernandez said. “Besides the wins and losses on the standings, we’ve got a lot of wins that we consider wins from players getting better.”

The anonymous player poll did not truly reflect Coach Fernandez’s first season. Neither he nor the Nets can dwell on the low rating. They must prioritize the upcoming draft, summer free agency, and decisions such as re-signing guards D’Angelo Russell and Cam Thomas. Fernandez’s focus remains on building a contending team.