Nets Notebook: Jordi Fernandez steps down as Canadian senior men’s national basketball team head coach

Jordi Fernandez volition nary longer service arsenic caput manager of the Canadian elder men’s nationalist hoops team. Sportsnet’s Michael Grange was archetypal to study the news.

Why Fernandez chose to measurement down astatine this clip remains a mystery. He declined to remark connected the concern erstwhile asked up of Wednesday’s matchup betwixt the Nets and Washington Wizards astatine Barclays Center.

“In fairness to Canada basketball, I privation them to marque the announcement,” Fernandez said. “Once they do, I’ll beryllium capable to reply each your questions.”

The Canadian men’s squad is presently ranked 5th successful the world. After replacing Nic Nurse arsenic caput manager successful the summertime of 2023, Fernandez led the programme to a bronze medal astatine the 2023 FIBA World Cup and a fifth-place decorativeness astatine the 2024 Olympics successful Paris, its highest decorativeness since the 1984 Olympics successful Los Angeles.

General manager Sean Marks afloat supported Fernandez’s Olympic pursuits erstwhile helium was officially hired successful April. He believed the much chances Fernandez had to clasp a clipboard, the better. While Fernandez was absent past offseason, the Nets formed a “robust” offseason programme for players, led by assistants Steve Hetzel and Juwan Howard.

TRADE DEADLINE LOOMING

The NBA commercialized deadline is Thursday astatine 3 p.m. ET. Whether Cam Johnson remains with the Nets beyond past remains to beryllium seen, but the sharpshooting helping did instrumentality from a six-game lack to look the Wizards.

“It’s ever large to person him,” Fernandez said. “Leadership successful the close way. He creates attention. He makes everyone’s beingness easier; not conscionable his teammates but besides me. So, it’s large to person him, large connector, large leader.”

Washington’s roster was gutted aft the franchise traded distant Kyle Kuzma and Jonas Valanciunas connected Wednesday, which near it severely shorthanded against Brooklyn. The Nets cognize what that’s like. Don’t punctual them what happened aft Dennis Schröder was traded successful December.

“It’s beauteous akin to erstwhile guys are retired astatine the past infinitesimal and truthful forth,” Fernandez said. “You’re inactive preparing to play against a squad that has a strategy and runs definite plays. Only present alternatively of being retired for immoderate reason, they’re getting traded. But the astir important happening present is us.”

Nets veterans person been the taxable of commercialized rumors since the offseason, truthful it’s been easier for them to artifact retired the noise.

“That’s the crushed wherefore they conscionable kept moving & kept competing,” Fernandez said. “These past fewer days are nary antithetic than weeks ago.”

SCHEDULE UPDATE

The Nets March 16 crippled against the Atlanta Hawks volition nary longer beryllium broadcasted connected NBA TV. It has been replaced by a matchup betwixt the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers astatine Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.