The Nets handed Jordi Fernandez his first NBA head-coaching job partly due to his improvement ethos but in addition due to his worldwide pedigree.
And on the largest worldwide stage of all — the 2024 Paris Olympics — Fernandez’s work has drawn rave critiques.
Fernandez, employed by Brooklyn in April, has led Group Canada to a 2-0 report within the group stage and the brink of the knockout spherical.
After guiding the Canadians to a gap victory over Greece and Giannis Antetokoumpo, then backing that up with a win over Australia, his ways and changes have left onlookers impressed.
Group Canada is all however assured of reaching the knockout stage, win or lose Friday versus Spain.
However a victory would just about guarantee them ending atop Group A.
After a lackluster first-half efficiency towards the Aussies, Fernandez gave his gamers an earful on the break.
He obtained on them over their lack of physicality, they usually stormed out of the locker room with a 19-8 blitz.
2024 PARIS OLYMPICS
“Whenever you’re good defensively, you’re joyful,” Fernandez mentioned. “I used to be sad with our physicality within the first half, we simply obtained to place 4 quarters collectively. It wasn’t excellent, however on the finish of the day within the sport of basketball there’s numerous imperfections and it’s a must to struggle by means of it.”
Fernandez made some refined tweaks as effectively.
After Aussie Josh Giddey had worn them out, Fernandez adjusted and put famous defensive glove Lu Dort on him.
Which will have been the turning level, as Group Canada turned protection to offense.
Veteran NBA scribe Josh Lewenberg wrote, “[Y]ou might definitely argue that his best work up to now got here on Tuesday, in Canada’s Group A showdown with Australia and massive 93-83 victory.”
Now Fernandez leads his workforce towards his native nation — and his mentor. Group Canada performs it’s group finale at 11:15 a.m. Friday towards Spain and Sergio Scariolo, the worldwide icon that Fernandez has referred to as his “basketball father.”
In the meantime, he calls David Blatt — a marketing consultant for Group Canada — his guardian angel.
And Blatt has gushed over his work in Paris.
“I actually predict an awesome [NBA] future for him. He stepped right into a scenario that enables him to develop and develop this system,” Blatt instructed BasketNews.
“The expectations for that group will concentrate on these two facets initially. I don’t suppose he must be a playoff workforce in his first or second 12 months, however he should assist the workforce develop, create an identification, and develop patiently, purposefully, and persistently. I consider he’s very a lot constructed for that.”
“One of many causes I strongly really helpful him just isn’t solely as a result of we’ve identified one another for years but in addition as a result of his European background suits effectively with the evolving NBA panorama. The NBA is more and more appreciative of and aligned with the European model of play. He suits that very effectively. He’s an awesome communicator and a relationship man, and that’s going to assist him lots in his new function.”
The Nets’ level guard can also be all however assured of reaching the knockout phases.
Dennis Schroder, who earned MVP in main Germany to a win in final 12 months’s FIBA World Cup, has them 2-0 within the Olympics as effectively.
Schroder had 20 factors on 7-for-13 taking pictures and 4-for-9 from deep with six assists in a win over Brazil.
Host France is the opposite unbeaten in Group B, and face Schroder at 11:15am on Friday.
After Brooklyn re-signed Nic Claxton, particulars of the middle’s contract have emerged and the four-year deal appears to be like much more team-friendly than assumed.
It’s closely front-loaded, with the Nets rebuilding.
Claxton earns $28.4 million this upcoming season and $26.1 million the following.
However over the again finish of the deal, he’ll make a complete of $45.5 million.
With the wage cap ballooning because of the massive TV pact, Claxton’s wage decreases from 16.8 % of the cap per Spotrac within the first 12 months to only 11.5 and 9.5 % within the final two.
That places him on par with gamers like Grayson Allen, Deni Avdija, Dort and Kevin Huerter, in addition to vets like Tim Hardaway Jr., Caris LeVert and Klay Thompson.
