The Brooklyn Nets are navigating a pivotal phase in their 2025-26 NBA season, shifting focus to evaluate their roster depth as they look ahead to the offseason. With injuries sidelining key rotation players, head coach Jordi Fernandez is seizing the opportunity to give more court time to those who haven't seen much action so far.
Fernandez emphasized the importance of this evaluation period, stating, "The analytics would come up with a number. Usually, it’s 500 possessions for lineups, so you never get to that.
With players, I think it is what it is right now. [We'll] watch them as much as we can and the sample size that we have, it is what it is."
This approach was evident in Monday's 114-95 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, where the focus was on assessing talent rather than the scoreboard.
With rookie Egor Demin and backup center Day'Ron Sharpe out for the season, Fernandez and his coaching staff are keen to identify who might be part of the Nets' future. "If we could choose, we’d do it differently, but right now we have this opportunity in front of us.
These guys will play," Fernandez continued. The experimentation with lineups is not just about individual performances but also how different groups of players gel on the court.
Despite not securing wins, the team's resilience in making comebacks speaks volumes about their competitive spirit.
Injuries to players like forward Michael Porter Jr. and Terance Mann have prompted further adjustments. Fernandez mentioned that Porter is on the mend from a right ankle sprain, but with the Nets out of playoff contention, there's little urgency to rush him back.
This situation opens the door for players like forward Chaney Johnson, who posted 17 points and nine rebounds, and rookie Ben Saraf, who added 15 points and four assists, to showcase their skills. As Fernandez pointed out, the Nets are now focused on assessing the back-end of their roster, setting the stage for strategic decisions in the offseason.