Kevin Durant wanted Steve Nash to be fired as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets over the summer but saw his request blocked by Joe Tsai, who doubled down on keeping the head coach and GM Sean Marks on the team. One of those 2 has finally left the franchise as Nash and Brooklyn mutually agreed to part ways.
Durant had nice things to say about Nash when asked about it after the Brooklyn Nets’ loss to the Chicago Bulls, where the team was coached by Jacques Vaughn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOU5GRFKNZE
“We didn’t have a healthy team, just didn’t play well. That’s what happens in the league. That doesn’t take away from Steve’s basketball IQ, how he teaches the game. I don’t think that takes away from anything. It’s just it didn’t work out.
What KD said is true, but it doesn’t change the fact that he extended a distinct lack of support for Nash over the summer. The Brooklyn Nets are expected to replace Nash with former Nets’ assistant coach Ime Udoka, who had a scandalous exit from the Boston Celtics after being handed a 1-year suspension for sexual misconduct.
Will Ime Udoka Succeed With The Nets?
Udoka’s hiring, if confirmed, will be incredibly controversial due to his exit from the Celtics. It isn’t the best PR move for the Nets to hire Udoka while he was in the middle of a suspension due to sexual misconduct allegations. While his familiarity with the team and success in Boston endeared him to be Nash’s replacement, the move will be clouded with a lot of non-basketball concerns.
The Nets’ roster is what it is, and hasn’t been able to put it together this season, sitting 2-6 on the year. However, the personnel, on paper, can be used way better than how it is now. Whether Udoka can revitalize Ben Simmons and extract the maximum from rotational players like TJ Warren and Royce O’Neale, the Nets will be in the playoff race over the course of the season.
