The Nets announced that at 1 PM on September 26th, Nets General Manager Sean Marks and newly hired head coach Jordi Fernandez would host a pre-season press conference. During the conference, several questions were asked regarding the state of the team, the players, and the strategies Coach Fernandez intends to implement going into the season.
While Marks did not specifically say that the team was tanking, when asked about the expectations for this season, he said that Fernandez’s job is to develop a culture and identity. From the front office’s perspective, Marks said that he wants to look at player development and who can be a part of the team long-term during this rebuild. When discussing the new CBA, Marks said that the landscape of the league is now different and that all teams are trying to figure out how to react. He talked about the draft assets and the importance of staying flexible, expressing confidence in the front office's ability to navigate the new CBA.
When discussing Cam Thomas, Fernandez complimented the young guard’s scoring capabilities, stating that he intends to reduce the number of dribbles Thomas takes before shooting, as the stats show that Cam Thomas is incredibly efficient on shots where he takes fewer dribbles. He also credited Thomas’s scoring gravity as a way to generate potential assists, possibly implying more on-ball playmaking opportunities — a positive sign given the Nets' history of having their head coaches do a poor job at acknowledging Thomas's talents.
Coming from Sacramento, Fernandez is very familiar with running the offense through the center. Similar to Sabonis, while Fernandez understands that they are not the same player, he intends to utilize his playmaking abilities via DHOs. Last season, the Sacramento Kings led the NBA in handoffs with 11.4 possessions per game and scored 1 point per possession on 52.4% EFG, the 5th best in the NBA. While the Nets also utilized DHOs heavily, ranking 4th in handoff possessions, this number is going to increase under Fernandez.
Regarding Noah Clowney, Fernandez said that he wasn’t fully sure what Clowney’s role will be and hasn’t decided whether or not he’s a 4 or 5. He acknowledged his positional versatility and skill set, and he intends to explore his options with Clowney. Marks followed up by saying he didn’t want to limit a player, noting that he could evolve and that his versatility will allow him to play multiple roles on the floor.
When asked about Ben Simmons’ health, Marks said that Simmons would be ready for training camp and is fully cleared, with Fernandez saying that they’ll see how he physically looks during practice. Regarding on-court play, when asked about the spacing issues that Simmons provides, Fernandez said that he was interested in playing fast, emphasizing that Ben’s ability to push the pace, playmake, and get to the rim would be valuable for the team. Fernandez also clarified that he isn’t using this philosophy because Simmons is on the team and that he wants to play fast regardless of personnel — a very important distinction to make, given that last year the Nets built their offense under the assumption Simmons would be healthy.
There were many positives in this press conference. While they gave some generic answers regarding the rebuild and the difference in timelines regarding the veterans, Fernandez gave some strong answers regarding the offensive system and how to utilize the current roster to maximize their strengths. It is expected there will be growing pains from the young players and from Fernandez himself; however, given his resume and intellect, if there’s anyone who can develop this core of players, he is most qualified.
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