Jordi Fernandez reveals what Nets hope first-round picks gain from time in G League

Jordi Fernandez reveals what Nets hope first-round picks gain from time in G League appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Brooklyn Nets made an NBA-record seven first-round picks in the last two drafts. Several of those players find themselves outside of the team’s rotation as it sheds the tanking label this season. Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Joshua Jefferson each played for Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, during the opening games of the G League season this weekend. What do the Nets hope those players gain from that experience? “We don’t say down in the G League because we believe that the club is the same,” said Brooklyn head coach Jordi Fernandez. “So in Long Island, with our coaching staff and our players there, the number one thing is to compete and play extremely hard. And then, as we’ve shared before, we have individual development plans for all the players, and their goals and the way we want them to play are the same there as they are here. It’s just the context is different. The minutes are different. The teammates are different. The shot may be different, but who they need to be as players is pretty similar. So I’ll give you an example. If you need to be a second side pick-and-roll guy, play off two dribbles, catch and shoot and defend and pick up full court, I don’t want you to be playing in Long Island and taking 35 shots and playing ISO game. Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial) Just a simple way to describe it. So I think communication is extremely important, and I think that the way it works here, from what I’ve seen, is excellent. And I think those guys are excited. Being exposed to real games and practices is very, very, very important, and everybody’s got different paths to develop. Sitting on a bench is never good.” Powell, Saraf, Danny Wolf and Nolan Traore each spent extended time in the G League as rookies last season. Why group of Nets first-round picks could spend time in G League early in season Traore has been a fixture in the Nets’ NBA rotation early this year, while Wolf has received extended minutes during the last two games. Meanwhile, Powell, Saraf and 2026 No. 28 pick Joshua Jefferson found themselves down in the G League this weekend. Jefferson made the most of his first professional game on Friday. The 6-foot-8 forward posted 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 3-of-7 from three, with six rebounds, three assists and one turnover in Long Island’s 121-111 loss to the Greensboro Swarm. Meanwhile, Powell struggled, posting six points, four rebounds, three assists and two turnovers on 2-of-6 shooting. Powell rejoined Brooklyn ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Dallas Mavericks. Saraf also struggled with Long Island on Friday, shooting 3-of-14. However, he bounced back during a 98-95 win over Greensboro on Saturday. The 6-foot-6 point guard posted 21 points on 9-of-19 shooting from the field and 3-of-8 from three, with 12 assists and four turnovers. Powell and Saraf have been behind Traore, Egor Demin, Mikel Brown, Keon Ellis and Terance Mann in the Nets’ backcourt rotation. Meanwhile, Jefferson has been behind Noah Clowney, Danny Wolf and Chaney Johnson in the race for forward minutes with the second unit. Tyler Bilodeau, the No. 43 pick in the 2026 draft, is also spending time with Long Island to start the G League season. The former UCLA forward has averaged 10.5 points and 3.5 rebounds on 8-of-18 shooting from the field and 5-of-12 from three across his first two appearances with Long Island. Related: Nets’ Jordi Fernandez explains why Mikel Brown Jr. remains unavailable for back-to-backs Related: Jordi Fernandez explains controversial decision during Nets’ late-game collapse vs. Hawks