The Brooklyn Nets have been patient with head coach Jordi Fernández, who has struggled to win games consistently, but is in line to have his best roster yet this season.
In two seasons with Brooklyn, Fernández has amassed a 46-118 record, while coaching through a lot of turnover and roster reconstruction.
Last year, the Nets won just 20 games, finishing bottom-three in the Eastern Conference.
But, Fernández was endorsed as the front office in the offseason, being given a multi-year extension.
While this extension demonstrates the patience of the Nets decision makers, Fernández will need to start delivering more wins to prove he was the right choice.
On Thursday, CBS Sports' Sam Quinn ranked the NBA's bench bosses, with Fernández landing within the bottom-10 (No. 9).
While his record certainly warrants a low ranking, Fernández has a good standing with the team, and has been praised for his abilities to connect with his players.
Projected starting center Day'Ron Sharpe talked about what Fernández means to the team at training camp.
"He's the leader of our family," Sharpe said.
Sharpe went on to say that Fernández does a good job of mixing fun with instruction, while saying that he is "always honest" with the players.
These are good things to hear about your head coach, especially with a young core looking to prove itself.
The Nets are positioned to improve in the coming years, as smart trades and young, developing talent provide a more-positive outlook.
But, it will be up to Fernández to figure out how to blend together the new pieces with returning talent as the Nets look to defy expectations.
In mid-September, Julius Randle spoke to media about his expectations for the upcoming season at his Back to School Cilnic.
“Whatever your expectations are, whatever expectations are put upon us, we’re going to exceed them," Randle told media. "We’re going to do things at a very high level.”
Most projections still have the Nets in the basement of the Eastern Conference, but Randle believes the team has the talent to surprise some people.
Since arriving in Brooklyn, Randle has been extremely positive about his new situation and surroundings, praising the young players on the roster and talking about "shocking" the NBA world.
The rookie class of Mikel Brown Jr., Tyler Bilodeau, and Joshua Jefferson should add versatility and playmaking to the Nets' starting five and bench unit.
As the regular season is about to kick off, Fernández has a big opportunity to rewrite the narrative surrounding his coaching abilities.