With head coach Jordi Fernández being given an extension by the Nets' front office, expectations have risen. Starting big man Day'Ron Sharpe believes Fernández is the right guy for the job.
Despite the Brooklyn Nets' recent struggles, the front office has been patient with head coach Jordi Fernández, who is entering his third year as the franchise's bench boss.
To this point, Fernández has amassed a 46-118 record in two seasons with Brooklyn, coaching through lots of roster turnover.
Following the season, Fernández was given a multi-year extension, showing that the front office believes he is still the correct fit for the job.
While this extension demonstrates the patience of the Nets decision makers, Fernández will need to start delivering more wins to prove he was the right choice.
With training camp kicking off around the NBA this past week, starting center Day'Ron Sharpe talked about what Fernández means to the team.
"He's the leader of our family," Sharpe said.
The projected starter went on to say that Fernández does a good job of mixing fun with instruction, while saying that he is "always honest" with the players.
The Nets are positioned to improve in the coming years, as smart trades and young, developing talent provide a more-positive outlook.
But, it will be up to Fernández to figure out how to blend together the new pieces with returning talent as the Nets look to defy expectations.
Sharpe is one player who will be expected to take a big leap, replacing longtime starting center Nic Claxton.
The former North Carolina standout had his best professional season last year, averaging 8.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game on 60.1% shooting.
Following the season, he was rewarded with a two-year, $20 million contract.
Sharpe's compliments about his coach carry a bit more weight considering his college coach was the legendary Roy Williams, who produced 32 first-round NBA Draft picks.
Sharpe was Williams' final first rounder before he retired, with the legendary coach saying that Sharpe was "naturally one of the greatest rebounders" he ever had.
On the offensive end, Sharpe is an extremely efficient player who doesn't need the ball to produce.
Last season, Sharpe shot over 60% from the field, a career-best mark.
This efficiency, coupled with Sharpe's desire to improve as a perimeter jump-shooter could be extremely beneficial for the Nets, who have sneakily formed a strong 3-point shooting roster.
Everyone who projects to get major minutes this season for Brooklyn has shown the ability to knock down the deep ball in the past, with Sharpe shooting 27.4% over his career.
While this is not a strong percentage, Sharpe has shown the confidence and ability to provide floor spacing.
This is something that Brooklyn has not had in a long time, as Claxton did not stretch the floor from the outside.
