By Jordan Long
The Brooklyn Nets coaching search is now over, hiring Steve Nash. His contract is for 4 years. Brooklyn is hoping he is the right man for the job.
The Nets job had been open since they fired Kenny Atkinson following a 28-34 start to the season. Atkinson coached the Nets for 4 years. His record was 118-190 or a winning percentage of .383. Jacque Vaughn finished the season. Brooklyn went 7-3 to finish the year. The Nets made the postseason as the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference but were swept in 4 games by the Toronto Raptors. Vaughn had a chance to be the Nets coach after the small success.
Brooklyn had other candidates they were considering including Lakers’ assistant Jason Kidd, Los Angeles Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue, Jeff Van Gundy, and Philadelphia 76ers’ assistant Ime Udoka. Kidd, Lue, and Van Gundy all had NBA coaching experience. Van Gundy hasn’t coached in the NBA since 2007. Kidd was even the Head Coach in Brooklyn for 1 year in 2014. Brooklyn may have felt they didn’t want to go back to the past.
Lue was probably the best suited to take over the Nets. He coached the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2015 through the first 6 games of the 2019 season. His record was an outstanding 128-83, a winning percentage of .607. Cleveland went all the way to the NBA Finals from 2016 to 2018. They were NBA Champions in 2016.
Brooklyn decided to hire Nash. According to CBSsports.com, Nash said, “I am honored to have this opportunity with such a first-class organization and would like to thank Sean, Joe and his wife, Clara for having faith in my ability to lead this team forward. Coaching is something I knew I wanted to pursue when the time was right, and I am humbled to be able to work with the outstanding group of players and staff we have here in Brooklyn. I am excited about the prospects of the team on the court as I am about moving to Brooklyn with my family and becoming impactful members of this community.”
The Nets are taking a risk. Nash has never been a coach in this league even as an assistant. Brooklyn is anticipating his basketball knowledge in the game for 18 years will help the Nets not only in the regular season but postseason as well. Brooklyn hasn’t made it past the first round since 2014. That year they were beaten by the Miami Heat in the 2nd round. The Nets’ last appearance in the NBA Finals was in 2003. They were defeated by the San Antonio Spurs in 6 games.
Nash will have 4 years to turn them back into a winner. If he is unable to make the Nets a playoff team year in and year out, Brooklyn will have to go back to the drawing board. It could be they will then look for a coach who has taken a team deep in the NBA playoffs.
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