There are good coaches, bad coaches and average ones, but what never changes is that context hugely shapes the career of any of them; and of course, the case of Jordi Fernández and the Brooklyn Nets was never going to be any different.
When the Spanish coach took charge of the team in 2024, his first steps at the helm were notable. Despite having a squad that was considered among the worst in the NBA, by the end of November he had a record of 9-10. Everything was going well, too well…
In a team whose only objective was to rebuild –that summer of 2024 saw the trade of Mikal Bridges to the Knicks– being good was bad. They had to lose games, they had to improve their chances of getting the best possible pick in the draft….
That was the mindset, and so on 15 December came the trade of Dennis Schroder to the Warriors. The German point guard was the on-court leader of the system imposed by Jordi Fernández. He played 33.6 minutes and averaged 18.4 points… It could be said that Brooklyn traded away their best man because they were not interested in winning but in accumulating assets. And in case there were any doubts, Dorian Finney-Smith was also gone two weeks later…
It can be argued that the team did what it had to, but it obviously did Jordi no good. In the rest of the season they went 17-46 and finished with 26 wins. In 2025-26, with a very modest squad, they managed only 20…
Jordi Fernández and ‘Groundhog Day’
The Nets have not lifted their heads since they decided to stop winning. Nobody knows how that 2024-25 campaign would have ended, but losing on purpose does not mean that when you decide to start winning some games again, you will manage it.
Now, in the 2026-27 season, it was expected that with Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. on the roster there would be some chance of being better or competing to a certain extent. Not only is that not happening –1-6 and bottom of the Eastern Conference–, but the talk (according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report) is of receiving good offers for both in order to gain more assets…
Jordi Fernández may be a magnificent coach (or not), but he would certainly not be the first who, even if he is, becomes the victim of a front office that shapes his career for ever. We hope that is not the case.
(Photograph by IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
