The Nets were a completely different team when they last faced the Golden State Warriors in November.
They rode high into Chase Center after beating the Sacramento Kings one night prior. Dennis Schröder, Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton were still on the roster. And Brooklyn pulled a 128-120 upset behind a 31-point performance from Schröder, who was traded to the Warriors in December.
“They beat us in San Francisco a couple of months ago with a great comeback,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said ahead of Thursday’s matchup against the Nets at Barclays Center. “I’m so impressed with Jordi. I think he’s crushing the job with a difficult hand to play.”
The Nets have gone 13-30 since. Meanwhile, Golden State continues to improve its playoff positioning after trading for star forward Jimmy Butler. But in that November meeting, Kerr learned a lot about what kind of coach Fernandez is.
While things may be rough for Brooklyn in the present, he sees a bright future, and believes the franchise is in capable hands.
“Jordi has had to face a lot this year, moves that they’ve made, trying to play a lot of young guys and all that. And he’s got them playing hard. They’re doing a lot of creative stuff. I think Jordi is doing a great job.”
WELCOME HOME
The Nets signed Tyson Etienne to a two-way deal on Tuesday. On Thursday, the Englewood, N.J. Native threw on a Brooklyn uniform for the first time, with plenty of friends and family in attendance.
“A lot of gratitude,” Etienne said. “This journey I’ve been on has come with a lot of ups and downs and I’ve been putting a lot of work in for a long time. So, just to get that call and for it to be in Brooklyn where I’m from, New York, just feeling really grateful and excited to be part of the team.”
The 6-2 guard has averaged 20 points on 50.6/47.5/79 splits with G League affiliate Long Island this season. He also leads the G League in 3-pointers made this season with 84.
“They care,” Etienne said of his coaches on Long Island. “You know, they care about your development, athletic performance, skill-based, thinking the game, like, they genuinely care about your development, and they want to see you win, they want to see you succeed in multiple forms. So, I think, just, a lot of people buy into the culture that we’ve built down there and continue to build; me and my teammates continue to work every day in Long Island, and we just continue to get better.”