Jordi Fernandez doesn’t just see Julius Randle as a scorer who can carry a load. He sees a forward who can turn into a bigger playmaker than he’s ever been.
Early in Nets training camp, Fernandez said he believes Randle could put together “his best playmaking year” in 2026-27. The Brooklyn coach pointed to Randle’s long track record of offensive versatility - from seasons with the Knicks where he launched eight-plus threes, to stretches built around isolation and pick-and-roll work - as the foundation for a bigger role as a passer.
“He's proven that he's a very efficient player at very different levels. Seasons with the Knicks when he shot eight-plus threes, seasons where he's isolated more, been in the pick-and-roll more, [he's shown] his ability to playmake.
Egor + Julius DHO ➡️ pocket pass ➡️ kickout for MPJ three
— Erik Slater (@ErikSlater_) October 12, 2026
Nets running good offense early. pic.twitter.com/SzBS53EJWH
And you put all those things together, for me as a coach, being able to use somebody in many different ways, it makes my life easier. I think that he will make his teammates better.”
So far, Randle has backed that up. In Brooklyn’s preseason win over the Washington Wizards on Monday, he dished out nine assists in the first half alone. Through three preseason games, he is averaging 8.0 assists per 36 minutes.
Fernandez was especially struck by the precision of those passes after the game.
“[Julius'] ability to throw the ball on time and on target to his teammates is unbelievable,” Fernandez said following Monday's win. “Nine assists in one half of basketball is not something many players can do.
I haven't seen it many times in my life. I think the only one I've seen is Nikola [Jokic].
And I know it's a preseason game, but you've got to give him a lot of credit. All those passes were right in the pocket, and his teammates made those shots.
It was good to see that when he gets to a post-up or an ISO, everybody is making themselves available in the right spot because otherwise, you create more turnovers with poor spacing. But Julius was aggressive to score or make the right pass at the right time.”
Day'Ron Sharpe drills an above-the-break three on the game's opening possession.
— Erik Slater (@ErikSlater_) October 12, 2026
The stroke looks smooth, and the coaches on the Nets' bench look comfortable with Day'Ron taking that shot. pic.twitter.com/x5I8KpP2CG
That kind of burden is exactly what Brooklyn is asking him to carry. With only first- and second-year point guards on the roster, Randle is set to handle a heavy share of the ball-handling and shot creation.
The 32-year-old hasn’t always translated that production into the playoffs, but the regular-season numbers have been right there with the league’s best offensive engines. Over the last six seasons, Randle has averaged 22.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting .459/.341/.785. Among players to post at least 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists on 45.0 percent shooting or better from the field during that span, only Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic are in the same club.
Keon Ellis drains back-to-back threes. His shooting stroke has looked very good this preseason. pic.twitter.com/2McHGLMEON
— Erik Slater (@ErikSlater_) October 13, 2026
Randle’s strongest passing season came in 2020-21 with the Knicks, when he averaged 6.0 assists in 37.6 minutes per game. He’s long been labeled an isolation scorer, but he says Fernandez’s system can widen the lanes for his playmaking.
“I'll playmake for sure. I think that's always going to be a big part of my game,” Randle said early in camp.
“I think here I have some versatility with how I can do it. It's not just isolation playmaking.
I can playmake through the pocket. I can playmake in the post.
I can playmake cutting. So it's different ways through the flow of the offense that I'll be able to do it.
But again, it's always going to be a big part of my game. I enjoy making my teammates better, and I feel like it's going to be even heightened here with the system and how Jordi does things.”
And Randle won’t be doing it alone. The Nets do have a shortage of established on-ball creators, but they also have shooters who can make the reads matter.
Michael Porter Jr. has knocked down 39.8 percent of his 10.7 threes per 100 possessions over his career, while also proving effective as a cutter and finisher around the rim last season. Egor Demin hit 38.5 percent of his 12.2 threes per 100 possessions as a rookie, and Keon Ellis is a career 40.7 percent three-point shooter.
Brooklyn also views rookie Mikel Brown Jr. as a player with real shooting upside.
The Nets wrap up the preseason Wednesday against the Miami Heat before opening the regular season at home against the Charlotte Hornets on Oct. 21.
In Other News...
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Brooklyn kept its preseason roll going with a 131-122 win over the Wizards, moving to 3-0 while flashing the kind of offensive pace that can make October feel a little more meaningful. Michael Porter Jr. was a steady scoring presence, and the Nets got useful minutes from DayRon Sharpe, Egor Dmin, Keon Ellis and Julius Randle in a game that featured plenty of shot-making on both sides.
The part that stood out most was how Brooklyns second unit changed the feel of the game, helping the Nets separate in a third-quarter stretch that turned a back-and-forth matchup into a more comfortable finish. Preseason results rarely tell the whole story, but for a team trying to build habits and confidence, this was the kind of performance that gives fans something to watch a little more closely. [Read more 🡒]
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For a Nets team that has made clear minutes have to be earned, that matters. The guard room is crowded, and Traor is trying to carve out space for himself while competing with Mikel Brown Jr., Egor Dmin and Ben Saraf, so every clean shooting night adds to the argument that he belongs in the mix when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Nets May Have Found A Core Fit Sooner Than Anyone Expected
The preseason has offered a pretty encouraging look at the Brooklyn Nets, and a lot of that early momentum has come from the wing tandem of Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. Randle has leaned into a primary playmaking role while also giving the group some veteran steadiness, and Porter has been the kind of scorer who can change the feel of a game in a hurry. Through three exhibition wins, the fit has looked cleaner than many might have expected this early in the process.
What makes it matter for Brooklyn is not just the box score production, but the way the two seem to complement each other as the regular season nears. Randle has talked about helping the Nets contend, and if this early chemistry holds, the team may have stumbled onto something useful before the games start counting. The real question now is whether that preseason rhythm can survive once opponents spend more time game-planning for them. [Read more 🡒]