Six losses in a season that could be ten times bigger, and Nets coach Jordi Fernández is already reaching for the proverbial sword.
This rebuild was always going to be ugly. But because his winless team showed no courage, defense or willpower, Fernández took the blame after Sunday’s disjointed 129-105 rout at the hands of the visiting 76ers.
“We return to the same thing, with a poor defensive effort,” Fernández said. “I can’t get my boys to play hard.
“I try to ask them questions: how can I do it to make them really play hard? And then you live with the result. I don’t live with this result because the effort is not there and the defense is not there. And we turn it around – 19 turnovers for 20 points. Until we have that, we cannot fight for the win. It’s plain and simple. How many games does it take? It’s six now.”
Make it 0-6 and tie New Orleans as the only winless teams in the NBA.
While getting the top pick in the 2026 draft may be a top priority, don’t assume Fernández and his players are trying to win. But they play the exact opposite of winning basketball, and they know it.
“It’s everything. From the lack of attention to the body language. It’s all about energy. And like I said, it starts with me,” Fernández said. “I ask them to play really hard and play with purpose, and we’re not doing that. So I’m doing something wrong besides the coverage.”
“That’s the beauty of this job. There’s not always one thing that works for all groups. This group is different than any group I’ve worked with, and we want to create winning habits. And right now we don’t have those. We’re a long way from that. We’re actually on the other side. So good experience.”
The Nets are stuck in their longest losing skid to start a season since dropping the starting seven a decade ago. It’s the third-worst in team history.
Cam Thomas’ Nets-high 29 points and Michael Porter Jr.’s 17 points with career-high 17 rebounds were undermined by the team’s atrocious defense.
The Nets shot 52.1 percent from the field. They got 29 points from Kelly Oubre Jr. – 22 in the first quarter – along with 26 from Tyrese Maxey and 22 from Quentin Grimes.
In short, they became enlightened. Again.
While Fernández may take the blame for their abysmal defensive disarray, it is the players who are spitting the bit.
“At the end of the day, he’s not the one going out there and having to play defense. It’s up to us,” admitted center Nic Claxton, who had 19 points, five rebounds and a team-high five assists.
“We just have to stick to the plans, look ourselves in the mirror. It is clear that he will have a hard time. It is also difficult for him. He is a competitor. He wants to win and no one wants to start with 0-6. But I have the feeling that in the end it is also up to us, to all the players.”
In a desperate attempt to shake things up, Fernández switched rookie point guard Ben Saraf – who picked up a DNP after starting the first five games – in favor of journeyman Tyrese Martin, who went scoreless in 27:24.
The Nets hit just 7 of 38 from deep. Yet it wasn’t the shooting that caused the Nets to fall behind by 28 points.
“Just our defensive presence. We know after every game we come here and say the same thing, our defensive presence, our defensive presence. So you know what it is. It’s clear,” said Terance Mann, who acknowledged they need to figure out how to better defend at the point of attack.
“We’re going to have to, otherwise we’re going to keep losing. So that’s what the coach wants. If we don’t figure out how and have the willingness to do it, then it’s just going to be the same results, to be honest. That’s exactly what it is.”
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