Following the reports that the Brooklyn Nets have reached a deal with Jordi Fernandez to be their head coach starting next season , Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown, just like Brooklyn Nets fans, offered his reaction before their NBA play-in victory against the Golden State Warriors.
During the press conference, Mike Brown congratulated his soon-to-be-former assistant for getting the job, saying that Brooklyn got themselves a good one.
“I’ve known him for 17 years now. I’ve seen his growth. He’s an amazing person. He’s ready for anything, for any head coaching job in the NBA. So, whoever gets him would definitely be very, very lucky to have him as their head coach,” Brown said about Fernandez via Brenden Nunes on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Before getting the Brooklyn head coaching job, Jordi Fernandez had stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, and Sacramento Kings as an assistant coach. He is also the current head coach of the Canadian national basketball team.
The Brooklyn Nets changed coaches midway through the season, replacing Jacque Vaughn with interim head coach Kevin Ollie. They finished the 2023-24 regular season with a 32-50 win-loss card, the ninth-worst record in the NBA.
Brooklyn is headlined by young talents in Mikal Bridges, Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson, and soon-to-be-free-agent Nic Claxton, so at least Jordi Fernandez already has something to work with ahead of the 2024-25 season.
But one of the biggest challenges he’ll face is dealing with their point guard situation, as Ben Simmons has been dogged by his back injuries in the past few seasons.
The front office is not yet giving up on the former no. 1 overall pick, so Fernandez will have to find a way to make it work with Simmons, who’s entering his contract year.
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