The Nets will try to add experienced coaches to Steve Nash’s staff, Shams Charania of The Athletic said in an appearance on Stadium (video tweeted by Billy Reinhardt of NetsDaily). Charania mentioned ABC/ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy and Lakers assistant Phil Handy as two possibilities.
Brooklyn considered Van Gundy as a potential head coach before hiring Nash last week, Charania adds. The 58-year-old hasn’t coached in the NBA since the 2006/07 season with Houston and has built a successful career in television. However, he did lead Team USA at the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup tournament and the qualifiers for last year’s World Cup and he may be tempted to join a team that figures to be in title contention when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are both healthy next season.
Handy, 49, has been in the league for the past decade, breaking in as a player development coach with the Lakers. He also served as an assistant with the Cavaliers and Raptors before coming back to L.A. when Frank Vogel was hired last summer.
The Nets filled one spot on Nash’s staff when they retained interim coach Jacque Vaughn as lead assistant. Keeping Vaughn was “critical,” according to Charania, who says Vaughn’s relationship with Durant has improved over the past few weeks. He adds that Vaughn likely would have become the head coach if Nash hadn’t agreed to take the job.
Van Gundy under Vaughn ？
Should Grundy become associate coach of Knicks or Nuggets in the future？
DC villain Sillivan Grundy?
If the nets can get rid of Vaughn by him getting a coaching gig then I say why not. But was Stephen A Smith get all pissed off about white privilege assistant coaches
It is possible that veteran writers will be slyly making light of Nash’s inexperience.
Word is the Nets are looking for dry-erase markers and whiteboard for the lockerroom office too.
It’s not true that chalk and blackboards never got the call to make that jump.
It is true that such ex-jock efforts rarely work but employers keep trying, and customers keep believing that somehow skill can be transferred via some kind of osmosis.
Did Nets interview Ty Lue?
Who should Lue go, Pelicans or 76ers?
It’s smart to bring in experience. Forget JVG. There are others out there who gladly do it. Mike Brown is a good choice, Defense coach. Alvin Gentry also
Once the Rockets are eliminated Saturday night (Lakers BETTER NOT blow it), Mike D’Antoni will officially be out of a job. Jeff Bzdelik is a defensive guru who the Nets should STRONGLY consider. With traditional positions and a young shot-blocking Jarrett Allen, I’m sure he can bring out the best in tall defenders like Caris LeVert, Taurean Prince, and Spencer Dinwiddie
You do know that Jeff Bzdelik is with the Pelicans now, right?
Damn! Thanks. I completely forgot about that
And you do know the rockets will never win a ship, right?
I have to know, after the overrated Rockets are eliminated, and Coach D is let go and the team starts to break up. Will you change your name to james-davis-mvps? Or maybe decide you like the Heat?
Why on earth would Van Gundy leave TV to be an assistant coach