Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez openly challenged his starting lineup and several young players following Tuesday’s one-sided road loss to the Heat, according to Bridget Reilly of The New York Post.
The defeat included a particularly rough outing for Michael Porter Jr., which Reilly described as his poorest performance of the season.
Porter scored nine points while shooting just 3-of-17 from the field and missed all nine of his three-point attempts.
“I want Mike and the first group to play as hard as they can,” Fernandez said.
“I want to challenge them to do it, because I’ve seen them doing it, especially on the defensive end. If that happens, I can live with whatever happens. If that is there, then you’re being selfless, you’re playing for the team, and just good things happen. I’m trying to just challenge every guy in different ways.”
Rookie guard Nolan Traore also drew criticism as a member of the starting unit. He struggled to manage the offense, finishing with six turnovers and no assists.
Fellow rookie Ben Saraf had similar ball-security issues, committing six turnovers of his own, though he did contribute four assists.
“(Traore and Saraf) need to grow. They need to grow and watch it and learn from it,” Fernandez said.
“And I know they’re better. It’s not an excuse if they’re young. I’ve watched them play and they’re way better than 12 turnovers. How they organize the team, how vocal they are, all that, it’s important.”
Both 19-year-old guards showed improvement in Thursday’s rematch against Miami, combining for 11 assists, including nine from Traore, while committing only four total turnovers.
However, Brooklyn still came up short, extending its losing streak to 10 games.
Nets Notes: Fernandez, Dëmin, Thomas, Carrino https://t.co/UNSG6yNQsx pic.twitter.com/0JKwM8Ct1n
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) March 7, 2026
