More than 80 minutes before the Nets faced the Washington Wizards in their second matchup of the 2024-25 preseason, Jordi Fernandez was seen hovering around midcourt inside Barclays Center. He watched as his players warmed up with assistants while mingling with different folks on the sideline. Perhaps it was a one-off thing, but the scene was notable, because most coaches in the NBA do not show their faces to fans until closer to game time. Monday’s meeting with Washington was more than a routine preseason game for Fernandez. It was his first home game as Brooklyn’s head coach and the 41-year-old was soaking up the moment. “I hope they’re proud of us, the way we play, what we do every single night,” Fernandez said. “And it starts tonight being at home for the first time.” Since arriving in Brooklyn, Fernandez has tried his best to entrench himself in the community. He led a youth clinic for dozens of kids at Charles O. Dewey Middle School back in June. He regularly bikes around the area with his wife, Kelsey. He frequents local bars every now and then. On Sunday, Fernandez and the Nets held their annual ‘Practice In The Park’ event in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. After the team was introduced, Fernandez grabbed a microphone, introduced himself to fans and told them that he and his family were happy to call Brooklyn home. “It was a beautiful event, not just for the community to show up but also the organization, how they put it together, the players’ engagement and commitment and being around the fans and having a great time,” Fernandez said. “So, it was a great time.” Fernandez has also been a regular at New York Liberty games since he was hired. He showed up to his pregame news conference dripped out in Liberty gear from head to toe. While he was not able to make it to Game 1 of the WNBA Finals at Barclays Center, he showed up to support the Liberty for Game 2 on Sunday — and brought his players with him. “I was getting very excited from the practice in the park,” Fernandez said. “So, being involved in the community, then going into the game, being part of the community, being a basketball fan. That gives you a sense of where my family and myself are living right now. We’re excited to be part of the borough, part of representing the Brooklyn Way and learning a lot of things. I think yesterday was a good opportunity for my kids, my wife, and myself. We had a great time, and we’ll continue to do it and always support the Liberty.” HAYES MISSES SECOND PRESEASON GAME Killian Hayes (hip soreness) missed his second straight preseason game on Monday, but Fernandez maintains that the guard’s injury is not serious. The Nets were also without starting center Nic Claxton (hamstring soreness), Trendon Watford (hamstring) and Day’Ron Sharpe against the Wizards. While Watford and Sharpe are expected to miss entire preseason, Claxton could possibly return on Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers or Friday against the Toronto Raptors. Hayes signed an Exhibit 10 deal to compete for a roster spot in training camp. It is difficult to make the team on the trainer’s table, but Fernandez is happy with what he has seen out of the former lottery pick before he suffered his injury. “Killian’s got a good feel for the game,” Fernandez said. “He’s worked really hard the whole time we’ve had him here. He’s been really good in camp. Unfortunately, these types of minor injuries happen. But it’s nothing serious, so he’ll be back soon, and I’d like to see him on the court. We’ll see how it plays out, but so far I’m happy with him and everything he’s done.” ALL OR NOTHING Speaking to reporters during Monday’s shootaround in Brooklyn, veteran guard Shake Milton summed up Fernandez’s coaching style perfectly. Defense is a non-negotiable for the first-year head coach. And if players are not guarding, they will not be on the court. For Milton specifically, his path to extended minutes with the Nets is clear. He averaged just 4.5 minutes per contest across six games with the Knicks last season. “Defensively, just making sure I know what the team is trying to accomplish, and then I’m also being disruptive as far as picking up and knowing tendencies and knowing what I’m supposed to get done at that end,” Milton said. “On the other end it’s easy. We play an unselfish brand of basketball, so I think somebody like me who can play off the ball or on the ball, be ready to shoot, be ready to get in the paint, create for myself, create for others. At that end it’s pretty simple. It’s more so about locking in on the defensive end.”