Nets Jordi Fernandez suffers preseason loss in NBA head coaching debut

OCEANSIDE, Calif.— The same day Robert Saleh ended his tenure as a New York coach, Jordi Fernandez started his.Fernandez made his NBA head coaching debut in the Nets’ 115-106 preseason opening loss to the Clippers before a sellout crowd at Frontwave Arena that included team owner Joe Tsai and wife Clara Wu Tsai.It was just a preseason opener, and every exhibition season comes with the public service reminder that these games mean little.

Even less so with both rosters missing bodies, the Nets without starting center Day’Ron Sharpe and four reserves, and the Clippers sans star Kawhi Leonard.Cam Thomas had 12 points, and Keon Johnson led the Nets with 14 off the bench.But seeing the talent-starved Nets fall to their former star James Harden — who couldn’t capitalize on a Big 3 era with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but had a team-high 14 points all in the first half — was sobering, if not galling.The Nets have embarked on a rebuild, and are entrusting Fernandez to steer them through it.“Obviously this is my first game as Nets head coach.

And it’s always special.Obviously I’ll always remember that it was here,” Fernandez said.

“Like I told our guys, gamedays are awesome.It’s an opportunity to compete and we get to do it together.

So it’s a good day to start this.And we’ve got to make sure we bring it every single day, every single night.“You’ll never forget this game.

It’s unique.… Now I get to be a head coach for the first time with a team that gave me the opportunity and believed in me.

That is very special … so again, a day that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”The game was in some ways a microcosm of the Nets.Having only been a head coach for Team Canada, Fernandez’s style had been a mystery.

But there was at least a foggy image of how he would like to play when healthy.The Nets want to run, and had 27 fast break points.They will need to thrive in transition, because their halfcourt offense is a work in pr...