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The Brooklyn Nets feel relieved and ecstatic that Kevin Durant has decided to cancel his trade request and amend his relationship with the organization. Last June 30, Durant requested a trade from the franchise, and just a few weeks ago, he gave owner Joe Tsai an ultimatum to choose him or Sean Marks and Steve Nash. Nash is entering his third season as the head coach of Brooklyn, and the results have been subpar.
When Steve Nash got the job, there was a plethora of harsh criticism because he had no prior coaching experience. He had that immense challenge of handling superstars that had instant championship expectations. In his initial season, the Nets advanced to the second round, but they were swept in the first round this season.
There are many question marks on his performance, so these are three reasons why it is wrong for the organization to keep Nash.
Lack of in-game adjustments, especially in the postseason
When Brooklyn was swept by the Boston Celtics last season, it was a close outcome for all four games. Despite all the issues internally, the Nets remained competitive against the elite Celtics squad, but the lack of in-game adjustments hindered their chance to win a single game. For instance, the plays to free up Kevin Durant against the best defense in the NBA were abysmal.
Nash did not mix things up, as Celtics head coach Ime Udoka was able to pressure and trap Durant in almost every possession because there was no spacing and off-ball movement that would open up opportunities for him. There were also instances wherein he would utilize Patty Mills or Goran Dragic for an excessive amount of time, which gave Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to search for the switch and attack the smaller man.
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Other coaches in the market may mesh better with the nucleus.
Even if Steve Nash is an NBA legend, there is a high possibility of other unemployed head coaches who would thrive in this Brooklyn environment. The laid-back personality of Nash may have caused the Nets in a couple of series because the players felt they could get away with their own plays. Thus, hiring Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy, or Sam Cassell would be a better fit than Steve Nash.
These three individuals have had prior coaching experience in the NBA. Moreover, they have the balance of mixing up the authoritative side and having a close relationship with the players. One would know that Nash was easy to deal with during his playing days, but not all stellar floor generals turn out to be successful NBA head coaches as well. Thus, Sean Marks and Joe Tsai must consider changing their head coach, especially if issues start percolating again at the start of next season.
Lack of authority
When the franchise hired Steve Nash, Kyrie Irving said, “I don't really us having a head coach.” That was blatant disrespect to Nash because Irving was not respecting his position as his head coach in the NBA. Irving would not have gotten away with that if he had expressed a similar remark to Erik Spoelstra or Gregg Popovich.
There were rumors that Kyrie Irving would run his own practice after Steve Nash wrapped up with the team's training. The disrespect shown to Nash is not deserved at all, as the final straw of this would be Kevin Durant giving the aforementioned ultimatum to keep him or Nash and Marks. Yes, Durant decided to change his mind, but the point is his players are just openly disrespecting him in public, which is a terrible look for the organization.
Some people are confident that Brooklyn could win the East with their current roster crop. New conflicts could arise when the season begins, even if no chaos is occurring now. And it would be tough to solve it internally if the players openly insult Nash. With a similar core from last season, this would be another intriguing and entertaining season for NBA fans.
