By Avi Wizwer
The Brooklyn Nets fired Head Coach Steve Nash on Tuesday, Nov. 2 after a rough start to the season. Starting the season 2-5, the Nets decided it was best to cut ties with Nash.
Following the on-court issues, there have been various off-the-court problems within the organization. The relationship between Nash and star point guard Kyrie Irving, and the underperformance of this powerhouse team in the playoffs, played a significant part in the team’s decision.
Despite being fired, Nash was a fairly successful coach in the regular season with an overall record of 94-67, and a winning percentage of 58.4. But Nash could not find success in the playoffs as he only achieved one series victory. In his first season, he faced turmoil with players injured, the trade between Ben Simmons and James Harden, and Kyrie Irving refusing to get vaccinated in the 2021-2022 season. Even though Kyrie eventually returned, the team could never quite gel.
In the end, the Nets struggled and got swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. Nash handled his first year as well as he could, but issues between him and the players put the proverbial nail in his coffin.
Kevin Durant requested a trade over the summer, and expressed his concerns with Nash as head coach. With trade talks falling through, Durant eventually joined the team again right before the end of September. The new-looking Nets took on the next season. You can see there are various flaws with the team, especially on the defensive end.
With General Manager Steve Marks on the lookout for their new head coach, the Brooklyn Nets need to find a spark to get their season rolling towards the right direction. The Nets have been in talks with ex-Celtics Head Coach Ime Udoka, who lost his job in Boston after a workplace scandal involving a female staffer.
Udoka took the Celtics to the NBA Finals in his first season as head coach. If Udoka proves to be too toxic an option, there are various candidates that are more than qualified to bring this Nets team to the promised land. Including Mark Jackson, George Karl, Mike D’Antoni, Frank Vogel, Terry Stotts, and Quin Snyder just to name a few. Any of these coaches can come in and help the team back to their winning ways. We’ll see what the Brooklyn Nets do next as their season could be in jeopardy if problems aren’t resolved soon.