Jordi Fernandez is heading into his third year as the Nets’ head coach, but this season looks like his first real shot to coach a team that is trying to win in a more meaningful way. Brian Lewis of the New York Post points out that Fernandez has already taken on a difficult job across the past two seasons, when Brooklyn won 46 games combined during a major rebuild. The record hasn’t been pretty, but Lewis writes that Fernandez is hardly to blame for the mess around him.
Brooklyn still doesn’t project as a winning team this season, but there is at least a different kind of expectation now: the Nets will be trying to win more. That shift puts a spotlight on two veteran forwards who are expected to drive the offense, Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle.
Both have said they want to outperform outside expectations this year. Randle, in particular, remains the wild card - a skilled but uneven player whose best version could matter a lot for a roster still trying to define itself.
Lewis notes that if Fernandez can get the two-time All-NBA forward to play like he did for the Knicks beginning in 2019/20, it could go a long way toward giving the Nets some stability.
Fernandez’s reputation around the league appears to have grown even with Brooklyn’s struggles, and this season gives him a chance to show what he can do with a little more to work with.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic, the Knicks are mostly running it back after their championship season, with one significant change in the frontcourt. Mitchell Robinson is gone, and veteran Andre Drummond is in to take his place.
Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo! Sports writes that the Knicks’ front line could actually end up better than it was a year ago, even with Robinson’s departure.
Robinson was a valuable rebounder and defender, but Drummond brings elite work on the offensive glass too, and he can also shoot the ball, which should help open the floor for the Knicks’ attackers. Mike Brown may also keep experimenting with OG Anunoby at small-ball center, or use Mohamed Diawara at power forward alongside one of the team’s bigger centers.
Lewis also broke down Noah Clowney’s spot on the Nets roster, and the outlook suggests a return to the bench after he started 60 games last season. Entering his fourth season, Clowney needs to make real progress as a shooter if he wants to strengthen his standing long term. He shot 36.4% on 1.4 attempts as a 19-year-old rookie, but over the last two seasons that number has dropped to 33.1% on 5.8 attempts, which has pulled his overall field goal percentage down to 38.2% in that span.
In Philadelphia, Jabari Walker’s contract leaves him in a precarious position. Adam Aaronson of The Philly Voice notes that Walker has only $250K guaranteed out of a $2.6MM deal until January 10, which raises the question of whether he can stay on the roster long enough to reach that date without being waived.
Walker impressed off the bench for the Sixers last season, but his chances are expected to be more limited now. His best path to sticking could come from proving he can handle backup center duties and bring toughness on defense, especially with Philadelphia thin behind Joel Embiid.
The current options there include Dominick Barlow, who is more of a natural power forward, along with Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti.
In Other News...
Knicks Draft Regret Looks Even Worse With Dadiet Now Stuck
Pacome Dadiets place on the Knicks roster has become more complicated than it looked on draft night, and the concern now is less about what he might become than what it might cost to move him. New York has reportedly seen his trade value dip enough that any deal could require draft compensation, a reminder that second-round swings are not just about upside but about how much flexibility they leave a team later on.
That reality only sharpens the debate around last years draft board, where several players taken in the same range have already looked like cleaner fits. Kyshawn George, Terrence Shannon Jr., Ajay Mitchell, Jaylen Wells and Oso Ighodaro all came off the board around Dadiet, and each name makes the Knicks decision look a little heavier in retrospect, especially with salary structure and roster space now part of the equation. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Hart Just Made His Knicks Contract Situation More Interesting
Josh Harts contract status came up at Knicks Media Day, and it was easy to understand why he wanted to address it now rather than let it linger. Entering a season where the roster expects to contend, Hart said he would prefer to have clarity before the 2026-27 campaign begins, a sensible stance for a player who has become a key part of New Yorks rotation and identity.
The bigger issue is less about the paperwork than the possible distraction if negotiations drag on. Hart acknowledged the kind of uncertainty that can creep in when extension talks remain open, and he made clear he does not want the situation hanging over the team for long. For the Knicks, it is another reminder that even in a focused locker room, contract questions can quickly become part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Brunsons Knicks Reaction Made This Celtics Departure Feel Personal
Jalen Brunson has spent the early part of the Knicks summer acknowledging how much Mitchell Robinson meant to the group that reached the championship stage, while also turning the page toward what comes next. Robinsons departure leaves a real void in New Yorks frontcourt, and it is the kind of move that changes both the on-court rotation and the emotional feel of a locker room that had leaned on his presence.
Andre Drummond is now part of that answer, and Brunson sounded encouraged by what the veteran can bring to the mix. The Knicks do not have to wait long for the first test of the transition, either, with early-season matchups looming against the 76ers and Celtics, giving Drummond an immediate chance to settle in and see how New Yorks reshaped big-man group holds up against familiar competition. [Read more 🡒]