After a tumultuous summer and a 2-5 start to the season amidst more Kyrie Irving drama, the Brooklyn Nets predictably fired head coach Steve Nash on Tuesday. Or as general manager Sean Marks said, they “both felt this was time” to part ways. And if that wasn’t enough drama, reports say that currently suspended Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka is in line to be the Nets’ next head coach. What is this franchise doing?
“We both felt this was time,” Marks said. “It was certainly trending in that way, and, to be quite frank, the team was not doing what it was supposed to be doing. We’ve fallen from our goals, of meeting our goals, and it was time now because we still have lofty aspirations of where we need to get to.”
"The team wasn't doing what it was supposed to be doing"
Sean Marks gives an opening statement regarding the Nets parting ways with Steve Nash pic.twitter.com/nE1LyjE7OZ
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) November 1, 2022
That Marks still thinks their “lofty aspirations” are still achievable is delusional. This team doesn’t have the requisite culture or leadership to be a championship team.
Moving on from Nash to Udoka, who was suspended for an improper relationship with a female subordinate, isn’t going to fix what ails this team.
The Brooklyn Nets plan to hire Ime Udoka as their new head coach, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Boston granted the Nets permission to speak to Udoka and will allow him to leave freely, sources said. https://t.co/lFeHY8hUiS
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 1, 2022
The Nets under Marks were once defined by their ability to develop players other franchises gave up on. They had an egalitarian offense and a defense that was connected and played for one another under hard-nosed head coach Kenny Atkinson. The franchise had an identity and culture.
Then came the summer of 2019 when Durant and Irving decided to come to Brooklyn. Ever since then the organization has kowtowed to its superstars, eroding their famed culture.
Coaches have been fired, young talent, draft picks and swaps have been traded and all they have to show for the Durant and Irving era is one playoff series win.
Irving is insistent on being a distraction and is being kept away from the media for promoting a movie with anti-Semitic rhetoric. Durant demanded a trade over the summer and asked for Marks and Nash to be fired before returning. He has continued to be uninterested in breathing spirit into the team and galvanizing his teammates. Who knows how long it will be before he reiterates a trade demand.
Bringing in a head coach as radioactive as Udoka is right now is just adding fuel to the fire. It seems like there is always something to discuss with this team that has nothing to do with basketball.
Is Udoka going to be able to get Irving to stop being a distraction off the court and run an offense on it? Will Udoka be able to bring something out of Durant that almost no coach in the league has? The desire to not only be the team’s best player, but its leader.
While Udoka’s name has been reported, Marks was quick to deny it on Tuesday saying the team has “absolutely not” settled on a head coach.
“The candidates that we’re looking for, that’s going to be their attributes – competitive, having a voice, holding guys accountable”
Sean Marks says the Nets have "absolutely not" made a determination on who their next head coach will be
"The candidates that we're looking for, that's going to be their attributes – competitive, having a voice, holding guys accountable" pic.twitter.com/SD8o4FUP9Y
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) November 1, 2022
It’s time for the Nets to move on from this failed era. Tell Irving to stay at home and he’ll get paid, trade Durant and maybe Joe Harris, and replenish the young talent and draft picks.
