Hawks Player Preview: Bruno Fernando
Few players in this year’s rookie class will enter the NBA as physically suited for the league’s demands as Bruno Fernando. Where most rookie centers lack the requisite strength and conditioning for the NBA, Fernando has size, length, and strength at a position that demands it – with impressive positional athleticism to boot. He gets off the ground quickly, can move his feet on defense, and should have no problem competing for rebounds and positioning underneath. In his second and final year at Maryland. Fernando averaged 13.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, and nearly two blocks as the Terrapins’ anchor while making meaningful defensive strides from his freshman year to his sophomore. For an early second-round pick, he wasn’t a bad flier to take.
As with most rookies, however, Fernando will need time to translate his tools into useful NBA play, and his inexperience could stand between him and consistent minutes as a rookie. He got by defensively in college mostly on strength and physical dominance. If he got beat off the dribble or arrived late on a rotation, he could easily erase the mistake with his length and athleticism. The margin for error will be far slimmer in the NBA, especially for a rookie still learning the ins and outs of team defense. Slow reactions lead only to unnecessary fouls and posterizations, and blow-bys compromise the entire defense to a greater degree.
He will get time, but how much? How long will it take for him to earn Lloyd Pierce’s trust? Where does he fall in Atlanta’s pecking order of centers? At the moment, he appears to sit behind both Alex Len and Damian Jones in the rotation. He played just 12 minutes in Atlanta’s first preseason game and didn’t make a particularly compelling case for more playing time. Fernando committed three fouls and three turnovers (the second-most on the team behind Trae Young) and didn’t appear quite sure of his place on either end of the floor. “I thought Bruno struggled tonight,” Pierce said after that game. “He looked like a rookie that was playing his first NBA game.”
That was to be expected from the big man, and the preseason might be most important for rookies trying to find their footing. In time, Fernando should, and in his second appearance against Orlando looked far more comfortable. “I thought his energy was great in his first stretch,” Pierce said Wednesday. “We need him to be an energetic big, come in, use his voice, command the defense, run the floor, get behind the defense.”
Fernando, at the very least, seems to understand his role. He has every defensive tool a modern center could want and a coach with a track record of developing defensive talent. He could develop into a passable three-point shooter in time, though his primary function will be finishing in the pick-and-roll, crashing the offensive glass, and providing break-in-case-of-emergency post scoring. Fernando is a deceptively perceptive passer who can make the simple play in short order:
He has nascent shooting touch, which could make him a nice complementary piece to Young, and has fairly advanced ball skills for a player his age:
He could be a useful cog in dribble-handoffs, using his wide frame to hammer defenders:
In the longer term, he could be insurance against the possibility that John Collins, primarily a power forward, can’t eventually make the transition to full-time center – a distinct possibility given some of his defensive weaknesses. That possibility is mostly theoretical at the moment. He’ll improve with reps, and while it might be more difficult for him to earn them, Fernando does have a path to rotation minutes. Len may well make his way into the starting five by opening night, and Jones’ place in the rotation could be just as uncertain as Fernando’s.
Second-round selections come with far greater variance than lottery picks, especially ones whose primary allure is upside. Fernando won’t receive the same level of investment and opportunity DeAndre Hunter and Cam Reddish will, and his skills likely won’t be as useful unless the other young players around him pop. But if Atlanta’s core flourishes the way its front office believes it can, what Fernando brings will only serve to amplify his teammates.
