Nets Coach Jordi Fernandez Discusses Team's Rebounding Woes After Loss to Pelicans

The Brooklyn Nets have struggled to contain the glass despite having several capable big men of handling things down low.

Jan 14, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Danny Wolf (2) and guard/forward Terance Mann (14) wait for a rebound against New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen (22) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets fell to the New Orleans Pelicans 116-113 to close out their road trip.

After a December that saw the Nets go from one of the worst defensive teams in the league to the best, they've seen considerable regression on that side of the floor, which is a huge reason they've now lost five games in a row.

Rebounding the ball is paramount for a team to close out a defensive possession, and the Nets have simply struggled to contain the glass despite having several capable big men of handling things down low.

"I keep telling our guys over and over again how important defensive rebounding is," Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said. "We started the season as the worst defensive rebounding team in the history of the NBA. We got better for a stretch where we became the number one for a stretch, and we would for sure move up out of last. Now, in the last three games, we're back to like really poor, and a game like today, you don't rebound, you lose everything else. If we just do a decent job rebounding, we win this game."

Brooklyn was out-rebounded 53-43 by New Orleans, allowing the Pelicans to grab 18 offensive boards for 33 second-chance points.

Securing rebounds is more than just having size down low. A player needs to study how to get perfect positioning on their man down low and be able to anticipate where the ball is going as soon as it leaves the opponents' fingertips.

"I know our guys care about doing the right things," Fernandez said. "The problem is right now our focus and our intentions are not there and that's something that I got to help them [get] better [at] and there's different ways you can do it obviously, so I'm gonna try to do my best to find 10 guys in the rotation that care about rebounding, that care about ball pressure, that care about doing the right things, and then if you make mistakes, we can live with it. But the intentions and the effort, it's a priority for us. I trust the group. They've always shown a reaction and work. I trust the coaches, because they always come back with a way and answers and positive energy."

The Nets' rebounding woes won't be resolved overnight, as it could take a new acquisition or two to help them get better in that department.