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Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez came to the franchise with a lot of praise given his history in player development and the good that he has done at each of his coaching stops. Not only does Fernandez have plenty of people saying good things about him, but a former NBA head coach in firmly in his corner as well.
Per Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com, former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt has been giving advice to Fernandez ever since he took over as head coach of the Canadian Men’s National Basketball Team last summer. So far, Canada is 2-0 and is looking to win the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics in large part because of Fernandez’s efforts.
“I really predict a great [NBA] future for him. He stepped into a situation that allows him to develop and grow the program,” Blatt said of Fernandez. “The expectations for that organization will focus on those two aspects initially.”
Fernandez became the head coach for Brooklyn shortly after his Sacramento Kings were eliminated from the play-in tournament and since then, the Nets have changed significantly. At one point, Brooklyn was expected to improve enough to get back to the playoffs, but that mission went out the window after the organization traded Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks last month.
“I don’t think he needs to be a playoff team in his first or second year, but he must help the team develop, create an identity, and grow patiently, purposefully, and consistently. I believe he’s very much built for that,” Blatt said of Fernandez.
Fernandez probably won’t be expected to lead a playoff team for the next few years, but he will be expected to develop a young roster in the meantime and it seems that one former head coach believes in his ability to do so.