With three games left, Jordi Fernández didn’t sound like he was counting the days. Brooklyn’s head coach was taking inventory of the season, of his staff and of what this job has meant to his life.
Ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Barclays Center, Fernández framed his second season as more than a record. He talked about trust from the organization, being embraced by the community and the weight of a job that he said is both rare and personal.
“This job means a lot to me and my family,” Fernández said, calling Brooklyn “home for us and will be home forever.” He referenced the team’s documentary about his journey, saying it hit differently watching it back and seeing parts of his path told in a way he wasn’t involved in creating. “Very grateful,” he said, adding that having one of the 30 head-coaching jobs is “more than special.”
But Fernández didn’t stop at gratitude. He connected it directly to what he sees as the Nets‘ plan, and his role in executing it over time.
“My goal is not just to keep it but help the organization with the plan that we have and build success and sustain it,” Fernández said. “Good things are going to happen in the long run.”
That long view showed up again when he was asked about the season itself, and whether the process has matched what he expected. Fernández said he’s been “very happy,” pointing first to communication and alignment with management and ownership, even when there’s disagreement.
“But the support is there, the togetherness, the vision, the plan, the execution and everything,” Fernández said. “And I think we’re in a very good place.”
From there, he went where the Nets have lived all season. Development, reps, and exposure for a roster built around youth. Fernández pointed to the five first-round picks the organization drafted and said all of them have played consistently in the NBA and the G League, calling that exposure “excellent.” He also noted the additional rookies the Nets brought into the mix.
Asked how he and his staff have improved through a season full of lineup changes, Fernández didn’t hide behind the constant churn. He called it part of the job and leaned into the idea that growth comes from making decisions, seeing what breaks, and adjusting quickly.
“I’ve gotten better by making mistakes and realizing that I’ve made those mistakes and owning those mistakes from the beginning,” he said. He offered an example involving how he used Michael Porter Jr. early, then changed it, then saw the defense take off and Porter’s play rise. “That was my mistake,” he said, adding he could list “a thousand other mistakes” and that more will come.
His point wasn’t self-criticism for show. It was a roadmap for how he wants the group to move.
“I just got to make honest mistakes and own them, and all of us keep getting better,” Fernández said. “Having all those different lineups is not an excuse. It’s part of the journey.”
With the finish line near, Fernández also made sure to pull his staff into the story. When asked whether any members of his coaching staff have taken steps forward, he didn’t single anyone out. He said all of them have.
“We have, in my opinion, the best coaching staff in the NBA,” Fernández said, crediting their work together and their focus on player development without ego. He said he believes many of them will eventually be head coaches and that investing in staff is something he and general manager Sean Marks value, whether those coaches grow in Brooklyn or elsewhere.