OCEANSIDE, Calif. — The identical day Robert Saleh ended his tenure as a New York coach, Jordi Fernandez began his.
Fernandez made his NBA head teaching debut within the Nets’ 115-106 preseason opening loss to the Clippers earlier than a sellout crowd at Frontwave Area that included crew proprietor Joe Tsai and spouse Clara Wu Tsai.
It was only a preseason opener, and each exhibition season comes with the general public service reminder that these video games imply little.
Even much less so with each rosters lacking our bodies, the Nets with out beginning heart Day’Ron Sharpe and 4 reserves, and the Clippers sans star Kawhi Leonard.
Cam Thomas had 12 factors, and Keon Johnson led the Nets with 14 off the bench.
However seeing the talent-starved Nets fall to their former star James Harden — who couldn’t capitalize on a Large 3 period with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, however had a team-high 14 factors all within the first half — was sobering, if not galling.
The Nets have launched into a rebuild, and are entrusting Fernandez to steer them by way of it.
“Clearly that is my first sport as Nets head coach. And it’s all the time particular. Clearly I’ll all the time keep in mind that it was right here,” Fernandez stated. “Like I informed our guys, gamedays are superior. It’s a possibility to compete and we get to do it collectively. So it’s a great day to start out this. And we’ve obtained to verify we carry it each single day, each single night time.
“You’ll always remember this sport. It’s distinctive. … Now I get to be a head coach for the primary time with a crew that gave me the chance and believed in me. That could be very particular … so once more, a day that I’ll keep in mind for the remainder of my life.”
The sport was in some methods a microcosm of the Nets.
Having solely been a head coach for Group Canada, Fernandez’s fashion had been a thriller.
However there was at the least a foggy picture of how he wish to play when wholesome.
The Nets wish to run, and had 27 quick break factors. They might want to thrive in transition, as a result of their halfcourt offense is a piece in progress.
Fernandez was clear what he wished.
“Our ball stress defensively, our physicality,” stated Fernandez. “After which offensively, what number of instances we are able to get to our spots and run and play quick; and never simply transfer the ball but in addition transfer our bodies. How onerous we play goes to dictate how good we’ll be.
“Up to now in coaching camp, these guys have been unbelievable with their goal, with their work ethic, with their togetherness. And that’s what I wish to see. I do know it’s not going to be excellent: I’m not in search of perfection. I’m simply in search of that goal and to get 1% higher. So, if we are able to come right here and get 1% higher tonight, I’ll be very blissful. After which we’ll transfer on to the following sport.”
The beginning was ugly.
The Nets coughed up the primary 12 factors of the sport.
Harden’s 3 made it 9-0, and Terance Mann free throw left them in a 12-0 gap simply 2:49 into the sport.
The Nets didn’t get on the board till Ben Simmons discovered Dorian Finney-Smith for a thunderous dunk with 8:56 left within the first.
However the Nets nonetheless trailed by as a lot as 18, at 23-5 on a Norman Powell jumper and 26-8 moments later after a Mann pull-up.
However with Simmons compelled to play out of place at heart because of the Nets being with out Claxton and backup Sharpe, they trailed 35-18 after the primary quarter.
However as soon as Simmons obtained to play his pure level guard place within the second, the Netsfound some life.
Down 40-29 following Amir Coffey’s hook shot, the Nets reeled off a 16-1 run to get again into the sport.
Fernandez has been preaching competitiveness, and veteran Dorian Finney-Smith confirmed some by diving on the ground for a free ball, and drilling a 3 seconds later to drag the Nets inside 42-40. Cam Johnson capped the run for a 45-42 edge.
However as soon as each groups went to their benches, the Nets coughed up a 21-4 run that spanned the third and fourth.
Up 74-67 after a Jalen Wilson and-one, they couldn’t stem the Clippers’ tide and located themselves again down by double digits.
Nonetheless, Fernandez — who spent two years because the Cavaliers’ G League coach in 2014-16 whereas Ty Lue was a Cavs assistant — has impressed his former co-worker.
“Jordi did a fantastic job. His [Canada] guys had been enjoying onerous. They perceive what he was operating, what precisely he wished to do offensively and defensively,” Lue stated. “He demanded that of all these guys, you see him on the ground, he’s directing guys, he’s getting on guys. So he did a extremely good job.”
