After two tanking seasons, almost 120 losses and one hand tied behind his back by his own organization, Jordi Fernández will finally get to do his job.
asserted
Fernández → tank → job
For the first time he’ll be coaching a non-tanking team, one with at least a chance to win every night, starting with Wednesday’s opener against Charlotte.
asserted
he → coach → Charlotte
Yes, that means for the first time since coming to Brooklyn in April 2024, there will be expectations on Fernández and urgency around his Nets.
asserted
that → mean → Nets
But that has him more excited than anxious.
asserted
him → have → ?
I think anxiety is usually negative.
asserted
anxiety → think → ?
It’s a good sense of urgency.
asserted
It → ’ → urgency
It’s positive.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
It’s excited about something,” Fernández said.
asserted
Fernández → ’ → something
“We cannot think that all this feeling is going to take us to do something wrong.
asserted
feeling → think → something
It’s just control what you can control, the excitement.
asserted
you → control → excitement
“Probably the first stint of each player, they’re going to be gassed in the first few minutes.
asserted
they → go → minutes
It’s because it’s normal, it happens every year.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
So everything we’ve worked on here behind closed doors, now we can display it in front of our crowd, and show them how hard we’re willing to play for them, for the community.
asserted
we → work → community
So, it’s exciting.”
asserted
it → ’ → ?
Fernández’s excitement at finally having a chance to do his job — unencumbered by lottery positioning, the greater good or any such concerns — was clear to his players.
asserted
excitement → have → players
He feels like going into every game, we’ve got a chance to win every single game,” Julius Randle said earlier.
asserted
Randle → feel → game
“We’re coming in trying to win.
asserted
We → come → ?
It’s as simple as that.”
asserted
It → ’ → that
Likely no Nets are feeling that more than the ones who had to suffer through the past two tanking seasons in Brooklyn.
asserted
who → feel → Brooklyn
Once the Nets committed to a rebuild, they slogged through a 26-56 campaign followed by last season’s 20-62 mark.
asserted
they → commit → mark
In an upside-down bizarro world, victories were greeted with fury by fans and losses were celebrated for lottery positioning.
asserted
losses → greet → positioning
But unlike Charlotte’s lengthy tank — they’re riding a stretch of 10 straight seasons in the lottery — Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks always planned a short two-year tank.
asserted
Marks → rid → tank
How well it served its purpose remains to be seen.
asserted
served → serve → purpose
The Nets will surely lose their fair share of games, but they’ll at least be vertically aligned in trying to win.
asserted
they → lose → games
That in itself has created a different vibe in the locker room.
asserted
That → create → room
With that being said, there’s no benefit from losing: nothing,” Noah Clowney said.
asserted
Clowney → say → ?
“Playing games, we think we’re going to go in every game with the idea of winning it, put our best foot forward.
asserted
we → play → foot
And I think that excites a lot of people.
asserted
that → think → people
So yeah, I would say it’s a lot more excitement in the building.”
asserted
it → say → building
Keon Ellis — a summer free agent signee — may be one of the newest Nets, but he has known Fernández the longest.
uncertain
he → know → Fernández
The veteran guard played in Sacramento from 2022-24, when Fernández was the Kings’ associate head coach.
asserted
Fernández → play → 2022
And while Ellis said Fernández isn’t the most outwardly emotive, he can sense the latter’s excitement.
asserted
he → say → excitement
“It’s tough to tell with Jordi because he’s not like an expressive guy, but yeah.
asserted
he → ’ → guy
So I know he’s excited, just because that’s what we’re here for, long summer.
asserted
we → know → what
So, just happy to get back to it,” Ellis said.
asserted
Ellis → get → it
“I know everyone’s excited.”
asserted
everyone → know → ?
Between owing a pick swap to Houston and the NBA’s recent lottery reforms, the Nets have no reason to tank this season.
asserted
Nets → owe → reason
That’s why Marks went out and traded for a floor-raiser in Randle.
asserted
Marks → ’ → Randle
“Sean brought me here because of that, because it was time to win.
asserted
it → bring → that
So, that’s just what it is.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
