Jordi Fernandez received his first alternative as a lead assistant underneath Michael Malone with the Denver Nuggets. Two years later, he would face Malone and Denver in his fourth sport as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets.
“I realized rather a lot from him, and clearly the chance I needed to come into the league, to be on the bench, that he gave me and my household, he meant rather a lot for us,” Fernandez stated of Malone. “I needed to work very onerous, undergo ups and downs… A variety of issues I do each day, not simply workout routines, but it surely’s a whole lot of issues I realized from him and [Denver’s] the teaching employees… Clearly you study from completely different individuals and then you definately [become] your individual coach.
After leaving Spain and dealing as a participant improvement coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Fernandez spent two seasons in Denver. He then grew to become Mike Brown’s lead assistant with the Sacramento Kings and hung out as head coach of the Canadian nationwide staff earlier than touchdown the Nets job.
“I simply have a look at his complete journey. I first received to know him a few years in the past in Cleveland, once we have been each working for Mike Brown, and Mike introduced him there to be a participant improvement man,” Malone stated. “You simply noticed his enthusiasm for the sport, his ardour for the sport and the way he got here up by the ranks. How he grew to become a G League head coach for the Cavs. All his work with the Spanish nationwide staff, the Nigerian nationwide staff, now the Canadian nationwide staff.
“He has a very distinctive background and has coached at nearly each degree. And clearly after I had a gap on my staff in Denver, due to our relationship and our belief in him, he got here in and did an important job for us and the Nuggets earlier than going to Sacramento…I I am actually comfortable for Jordi and his household. I all the time knew he can be a head coach and I hope they win a whole lot of video games besides tonight.
Fernandez would not face excessive expectations in his first season with the Nets, who’re anticipated to be among the many worst groups within the league as they place themselves for a high draft choose. Nonetheless, the brand new NBA head coach wasted no time in setting a direct and disciplinary tone in Brooklyn.
Michael Malone praises Jordi Fernandez’s teaching course of
A number of Brooklyn veterans have described this yr’s coaching camp as probably the most troublesome of their careers. Fernandez referred to as out a number of Nets individually after a preseason loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
His gamers have responded to this strategy up to now. The Nets have been aggressive of their first two losses. They comfortably outplayed the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday to earn their first win, forcing 18 turnovers whereas holding Giannis Antetokounmpo to 22 factors.
When talking about Fernandez’s strengths, Malone praised the Nets head coach’s expertise. capacity to attach with gamers.
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“I realized this a very long time in the past from my dad, that as a coach you’ll be able to know all of the if you do not have a relationship along with your gamers, none of that actually issues,” the Nuggets coach stated. “That is one thing that stood out to me with Jordi… Sure, we. We train and we coach, however he made an effort to have a relationship with our gamers off the sphere, as males, as individuals, and I feel that goes a great distance with the gamers.
“Not solely do they know every thing you already know as a coach, however additionally they understand how a lot you care, and I feel that helps you get to an excellent higher place from a relationship standpoint.”
Nets normal supervisor Sean Marks and proprietor Joe Tsai selected Fernandez over veteran Mike Budenholzer and others to guide Brooklyn’s rebuild. Because the Nets start a brand new period, the first-year head coach will look to put the inspiration for sustained success this season.
