Jordi Fernández on Nets' Loss to 76ers: 'How Can I Do It, to Get Them to Play Really Hard?'

The Brooklyn Nets fell to 0-6 on the season following a dreadful 129-105 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

The team's body language and shot selection would make it hard for even the most optimistic Nets fan to feel good about their squad after their performance.

"I'm failing at trying to get my guys to play hard," Fernandez said. "I'm trying to ask questions. Ask them questions. How can I do it, to get them to play really hard?"

"We want to create winning habits, and right now we don't have them," Fernandez said. "We're very far from that. We're actually on the other side."

Growing pains were to be expected this season after the Nets used all five of their first-round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft .

However, this was also a golden opportunity for Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas to take their game to the next level and prove they can compete for a spot in the All-Star Game.

Porter Jr. managed 17 points on just 7-of-23 shooting, making just one of his 12 shot attempts from 3-point range.

Porter Jr. at least grabbed 17 rebounds, but the Nets brought him in hoping he can take his game to the next level after being relegated to no better than a third option while playing for the Denver Nuggets.

Instead, he's been taking low-quality shots, giving poor body language and using his platform to say some questionable things.

It's still early and sometimes it takes time for a player to get accustomed to a new situation, and his averages on the season don't look horrible.

However, the Nets need Porter Jr. to step up his game as both a scorer and a leader if they view him as a player worth helping them develop their new culture or pull the plug on the experiment entirely before his trade value gets too low.

There are several contenders across the league that could use a scoring punch, and Porter Jr. has proven he can be a significant part of a championship-winning team, winning it all with the Nuggets in 2023.

Porter Jr. is best utilized as a wing who can score when he has a playmaker like Nikola Jokić setting him up for some clean looks and should never be mistaken as a lead scorer of a winning team.

The Nets may eventually jettison Porter Jr. and let their rookies get more run, but for now. expect Porter Jr. to continue to get a shot at developing his all-around game.