Nets rebuild forcing Jordi Fernandez to value different form of winning

Taking on the Nets in a rebuild year is a tall task for anyone. Jordi Fernandez knew that going in.He was aware he would be asked to build a young group of players, develop them, and endure a season of musical chairs as the franchise tries to make moves for the future. It’s a makeover season the Badalona, Spain, native had not experienced in the NBA, and it’s one that forced him to manage his frustrations by redefining winning to mean more than what the team’s record reflects. “Obviously, as a competitor, I’m not going to react well to a loss,” Fernandez said after the practice Friday.

“But, like I said before, seeing these guys getting better, seeing these guys fighting all the way until the end, those are wins for us.And, like I said before, winning starts now.

We’re not waiting to win.It’s just that what winning means for you is different and we don’t need to share that, but we feel like we’re winning a lot of things right now.” Before arriving in Brooklyn, Fernandez was an assistant coach for the Nuggets (2016-22) and the Kings (2022-24), and the combined eight years all yielded winning seasons — five of which included playoff appearances. In Denver, he helped develop a team that appeared in one Western Conference Final and two semifinals prior to the team taking home the championship in the 2022-23 season without him.

With the Kings, he had a 94-70 record over two seasons with one first-round playoff appearance.He was part of teams that went 375-220 before his first head coaching gig. Now, his team (14-31) has lost 18 of its last 22 games as part of a mission to tank for a chance at a high draft pick. “The reality is, you don’t know until you know,” Fernandez of what he has taken away from the experience.

“You have a plan.You’re going to go through the process and now all of a sudden you’re in it.

You can expect things, but reality is always going to hit you a different way.As long as you come back the next day...