The Brooklyn Nets will be without head coach Jordi Fernandez on Sunday night when they host the Milwaukee Bucks, as Fernandez is sidelined with the flu. Assistant coach Steve Hetzel will step in as acting head coach, marking his first time leading an NBA team from the front of the bench.
Despite the illness, Fernandez appears to be in good spirits. “He tested positive for the flu, but he has no fever.
He feels good,” Hetzel said. “I talked to him this morning.
I saw him, he was in here. He was in good spirits, but I think it was best for him to just get some rest.”
With Hetzel at the helm, the messaging remains consistent. “I'm just extending the message of what Jordi always talks about: being competitive, selfless, and connected out on the basketball floor,” Hetzel added. That mindset will be crucial as the Nets look to gain a 3-2 edge in their current five-game stretch - something that would mark their first series win of this kind this season.
It’s been a tale of two seasons for Brooklyn. After a brutal 0-7 start, they’ve steadied the ship and are showing signs of cohesion.
Over the last five games, the Nets have gone 3-2, with a strong defensive identity emerging. They rank fifth in defensive rating (109.4), ninth in net rating (4.7), and sit at 17th in offensive rating (114.0) during that stretch - not elite, but certainly respectable, especially considering where they started.
Their most recent outing, a 119-111 loss to the Mavericks on Friday, snapped a three-game win streak. Still, the Nets are trending in the right direction, and Sunday’s matchup presents a real opportunity to keep that momentum going - especially with the Bucks missing their superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who remains out with a calf strain.
Milwaukee, for its part, hasn’t looked quite the same without Giannis, dropping two of their last three games. That said, they reminded everyone of their depth and toughness with a 116-101 win over the Celtics on Thursday - a statement win, even without their MVP.
For Hetzel, Sunday’s game is more than just filling in - it’s a milestone. After serving as Fernandez’s lead assistant for the past two seasons and spending three years prior with the Portland Trail Blazers, he’ll finally get his first taste of head coaching duties in an NBA game.
The Nets will need to lean on that next-man-up mentality, not just on the bench but across the roster. After Sunday, the schedule doesn’t get any easier.
Brooklyn is staring down a tough stretch with games against the Heat, Raptors, Sixers, Timberwolves, Warriors, and Rockets. If they want to stay in the playoff picture, these are the kinds of games - even without their head coach - that they need to find a way to win.
Sunday’s matchup is about more than just one night. It’s a test of resilience, of identity, and of whether this Nets team can continue to build something meaningful after a rocky start.