The head coach is a strong believer in the newly added traded players for Brooklyn, despite not being household names across the league.
Thursday marks the return of the Brooklyn Nets from their NBA All-Star Game break.
But will it also mean the debut of the two players acquired during the NBA Trade Deadline?
Brooklyn added Josh Minott and Ochai Agbaji via the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors, respectively. Both are considered salary dump players from their last posts.
But both also aren't considered heralded names across the league. There were Brooklyn fans underwhelmed by the moves -- especially with names like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, Jonathan Kuminga and even Agbaji's former Raptors teammate RJ Barrett mentioned in trade circles.
Yet Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez is liking both additions, which he shared via Erik Slater of ClutchPoints Wednesday.
"We know they’re very good players. That’s why they’re here,” Fernandez said.
The 43-year-old head coach then painted this message as to why Minott and Agbaji were added.
“Show me what you can bring to the group, and if you can be part of this group, you can be a future Net…Ball pressure is our first staple," Fernandez said.
That's the exact trait he saw when scouting out both players, as they're more for defending purposes on the hardwood.
"Every time you can apply ball pressure — full-court or half-court — you can create turnovers and deflections and make the other team uncomfortable late in the clock," Fernandez said. "We believe those guys can do that, and I’m excited to watch them play.”
Minott, though, will have a little bit of a delay. Here's why via Slater from Tuesday.
"The Nets have assigned Josh Minott and Ben Saraf to their NBA G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets," Slater posted via the social media website X, formerly Twitter.
That means Minott won't be available for Thursday's road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, which Slater also confirmed.
Meanwhile, the Nets won't have top big Nic Claxton in action either. He's now dealing with a sprained ankle he sustained during Wednesday's practice -- which rules him out of the Thursday contest.
Could this mean Agbaji will get the call? He's more on the guard side and that's a deep lineup already. He's also played 16 minutes against the Indiana Pacers before the NBA All-Star Break.
Claxton's absence, though, likely means more Day'Ron Sharpe and Danny Wolf to offset the loss.
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