March 28, 2026, 5:04 p.m. ET
The Brooklyn Nets are nearing the end of their 2025-26 NBA season and while they are hoping to finish the year on a strong note, they currently have a 10-game losing streak. Part of the reason that Brooklyn has been losing some winnable games lately is due to some interesting rotation decisions, but head coach Jordi Fernandez and forward Ziaire Williams explained various angles of the development arc.
“I mean, he’s [Williams] a competitor, and he wants to play every single minute. The reality is that I have to develop the young guys,” Fernandez said of Williams following Friday’s 116-99 loss at the Los Angeles Lakers. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Nets trailed the Lakers 85-84, but Brooklyn proceeded to lose the fourth quarter 31-15 as Fernandez decided to play some of the less-experienced players down the stretch.
“We have five first-round picks, and we have guys that we either just acquired or guys that haven’t seen enough,” Fernandez continued. “So, my job is to give answers to what we want to do in the summer. Ziaire is a player that I’m very comfortable with. I love him, and he plays really hard. That’s the reason why [he didn’t play in the fourth quarter]. He was amazing.”
As Fernandez alluded to during his postgame press conference, Williams is one of the players that has had to understand that he won’t be playing in some fourth quarters due to Brooklyn’s evaluation process. Williams, who totaled 16 points and three steals in 25 minutes played through the first three quarters, spoke on what it’s like to balance wanting to play with being willing to sit out to allow other players to gain experience.
“Yeah, for sure. I always want to play every minute of every game, but, it’s above me, it’s out of my control,” Williams said when asked how tough it is to accept the team’s need to see other players on the court at this point of the season. “I just leave it up to the coaches. My job is just: whatever my name is called to go out there, play my hardest, and then, when I’m on the bench, I support my team.”
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In the fourth quarter, Fernandez gave most of the playing time to Josh Minott, Chaney Johnson, Ben Saraf, Terance Mann, and Jalen Wilson. While the Nets ultimately lost a winnable game in a blowout fashion in the end, Brooklyn was able to get a longer look at players like Minott, who lead the team with 18 points. Still, that won’t stop players like Williams from wanting to be on the floor at all times.