In an interview with Michael Scotto, Day’Ron Sharpe becomes latest Net to praise the first success of the Nets rebuild, the hiring of Jordi Fernandez as head coach.
It’s the time of year when fans of rebuilding teams count draft picks and cap space, and in the case of the Brooklyn Nets, there’s a lot to count!
The rebuild may have begun with the Nets furious acquisition of draft picks, both first and second rounders, at the 2024 trade deadline, then at the draft. But June 25 will be the first time we’ll see how successful those acquisitions have been.
However, there has already had one huge success that’s getting lost in preps for the NBA Draft and free agency: the hiring of Jordi Fernandez. Pundits across the NBA spectrum, opposing coaches like Steve Kerr, J.J. Redick and Kenny Atkinson, and most important, his players have said all the right things about the 41-year-old rookie coach. It’s a big reason why many of the Nets players want to stick around … and why Sean Marks & co. are optimistic about enticing free agents to Brooklyn.
On Monday, Day’Ron Sharpe became the latest Nets player to talk about Fernandez in an interview with Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto.
“ I love playing for Jordi Fernandez,” Sharpe began. “I think it’s about the way he approaches it. He pays attention to all the details of what the other team is doing. I like our game plans. He believes in us. He always feeds life into us. He believes in us to shoot the ball. He’ll say, ‘If you’re open, shoot.’ I like that. I like how he breathes life into the team and is always trying to help us get better and over the hump. He’s got it in him.”
Fernandez’s game plans have indeed been mentioned by more than one Nets player, how he was able to put them together despite the spate of injuries and illnesses in mid-season as well as roster changes throughout the year.
Another area cited by Sharpe and his teammates has been Fernandez’s communication skills, which were also cited by Marks when he hired Fernandez in April 2024 after dismissing Jacque Vaughn.
“Behind the scenes, Jordi is a cool guy,” Sharpe added. “He likes to have fun. He’ll laugh and joke. Our team dinners are always good. Everybody actually likes hanging out with each other. Our huddles are always good. When it’s time to be serious, he’s serious. When we’re bullshitting, he’s on our ass.
“He also will give credit when it’s due. He doesn’t give us credit by saying we’re the best. He’ll give some tough love. ‘We were great tonight, but can we do it three games in a row?’
“He always challenges us, which I like. Even if we’re on a three-game winning streak, he’ll challenge us the next game to be better than the game before. It doesn’t matter if we’re playing the worst or best team in the league. He approaches the game the same way every night.”
Brooklyn didn’t have a good season, far from it. They finished 26-56, going 17-46 after their 9-10 start and finished the season 6-21, but per Jeff Stotts of InStreet Clothes, the site that monitors injuries and illness, Nets players missed 374 games to injury and illness. That’s also a franchise record as well as the second biggest number in the NBA behind only the 76ers. Moreover, they tied the franchise record, set during the pandemic, for players under contract with 27.
Again, Sharpe is just the latest Nets player to heap praise on their head coach. At the end of the season press conference on April 14, other players provided positives on their rookie head coach.
“I appreciate Jordi just being consistent every day,” Ziaire Williams said. “He’s always gonna tell you exactly how it is straight up, and that’s how I was taught and raised, so I love that method. I think it’s really the only method to winning: [it’s] holding each other accountable, and just being there for one another.”
“It was definitely great, just seeing the vision of what Jordi wants us to play like, and just seeing everybody buy into it was definitely dope to be a part of,” said Cam Thomas, who like Sharpe and Williams is a restricted free agent this summer.
Fernandez has been part of Nets scouting process during the season as shown in SCOUT, particularly the first episode, and has been part of the Nets workouts of draft prospects the past several weeks … and will be part of Brooklyn’s Draft Night team.
Sharpe also spoke with Scotto about his pride in rebounding, particularly on the offensive end, as he had in an interview last week with Charlie Cummings of Swish Theory. He spoke as well about his free agency. Among pundits, he’s projected a deal somewhere around three years and $30 million.
“I’m looking forward to the experience because I don’t know too much about free agency. This is my first year experiencing it. I’m looking forward to learning from it and how to move later on in my career,” he said.