The Brooklyn Nets are navigating a challenging season, and head coach Jordi Fernandez is focused on player development and strategic adjustments. Following a tough loss to the Detroit Pistons, the team is gearing up for their next game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Coach Fernandez’s insights and expectations for key players like Cam Thomas and Ben Simmons are central to the team’s progress.
Cam Thomas is a pure scorer, and there is little doubt that he can have a long, successful career in that role. Coach Fernandez, howver, is pushing for more than just points. Fernandez has highlighted the importance of Thomas improving his assist numbers and court vision. The coach wants Thomas to evolve into a player who not only scores but also facilitates and enhances team play. This development is crucial for Thomas to align with Fernandez’s vision of a well-rounded player contributing to the Nets’ overall success.
In the recent game against the Pistons, Thomas’s performance underscored these developmental needs. Thomas still put up 17 points, but unlike recent games this season it came with less efficiency. He shot just 35% from the field and just 1-7 from deep. Beyond the percentages, the eye-test also displayed a player forcing the issue, specifically when driving into traffic in the paint and around the basket. Defenses will key-in on Thomas every game, and Jordi Fernandez wants to see his efficiency and decision-making improve in those moments. The challenge for Thomas is to balance his scoring prowess with the ability to involve his teammates effectively, a key aspect of Fernandez’s coaching philosophy.
The other player of note, Ben Simmons, and his role under Coach Fernandez is a topic of ongoing discussion. Despite Simmons’s exceptional court vision, his reluctance to shoot is a significant concern for Fernandez. The coach has been vocal about wanting Simmons to take more shots, aiming for at least ten attempts per game. However, this has yet to be realized, and it remains a critical area for Simmons to address.
Simmons’s hesitance to attack the basket and draw fouls is at odds with Fernandez’s strategy, which emphasizes taking advantage of scoring opportunities. This reluctance not only limits Simmons’s effectiveness but also impacts the team’s overall dynamics. Fernandez’s challenge is to find a way to integrate Simmons’s strengths while encouraging him to expand his offensive contributions.
For Ben Simmons, it is not only the impact in has on his own game, but the way in which Simmons remains shot-adverse impacts the roster overall. Every transition opportunity, every fast break with Ben at the helm comes with disjointed decision making that leaves teammates at a disadvantage.The question, though I cannot see why it remains one, is if Coach Fernandez will move Simmons into a bench role until he proves capable and willing to shoot. The harsher decision may come in benching him entirely to have the message sink in.
In a season that is more about development than wins and loses, it will be interesting to see how far Jordi Fernandez lets veteran players like Simmons go, before younger talent is given a bigger role and opportunity. It was also be worth watching if Fernandez backs up his expectations with a demand for results, something his coaching style and demeanor clearing want in this new era of Brooklyn Nets basketball.
