Veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote on Monday that Steve Nash will likely keep the Nets‘ head coaching job despite a disappointing season, as long as he retains the confidence of star forward Kevin Durant and team owner Joe Tsai. Durant expressed his support for Nash following Monday’s loss and there’s no indication that Tsai is considering a change.
According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, if a coaching change does occur in Brooklyn, it seems more likely to happen because Nash steps away from the job, not because he’s fired. There has been speculation about the possibility in league circles, says Fischer, since the former NBA MVP has had to deal with more drama and adversity than expected since taking over the position in 2020.
However, sources tell Fischer that Nash is acting as if he plans to remain in Brooklyn going forward, and he that was the message he conveyed when speaking to reporters on Monday after the Nets’ season ended.
“I loved doing this and love these guys, love my staff, love all the departments. Really have a great working environment, really enjoyed it and want to continue doing it,” Nash said, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “Ben Simmons and Joe Harris will give us a big lift and we’ll see how the rest of the roster rounds out, but we should be excited by that. Getting two of your top four guys back — two guys with size, one who’s an All-Star and one who’s one of the best shooters in the league — that gives us a big boost.”
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Fischer’s latest story for Bleacher Report includes a closer look at the Ben Simmons situation, with sources telling Fischer that people around Simmons had wanted him to make his Nets debut this spring to establish more of a connection with his new teammates. Nets staffers are hoping he’ll spend plenty of time this summer around the team’s practice facility, rather than “enjoying a celebrity vacation mindset,” Fischer adds.
- According to Fischer, there has already been some speculation around the league about whether the Nets would consider trading Simmons this offseason, but that scenario appears unlikely. “Brooklyn just has to play it out a little bit. You don’t really have a choice,” a rival general manager told Bleacher Report. “I just don’t think (Simmons) has any real trade value. He hasn’t been accountable for two franchises. He hasn’t played an entire season due to a back injury. How can you do a trade with the chance he reports and then says he can’t play because of the back again?”
- Kyrie Irving admitted on Monday that his inability to play for much of the season due to his vaccination status was a “distraction at times” for the Nets, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. “I felt like I was letting the team down at a point where I wasn’t able to play,” Irving said. “We were trying to exercise every option for me to play, but I never wanted it to just be about me.” The star point guard remains optimistic about the future in Brooklyn: “We lost a franchise player (James Harden) and we got a franchise player back (Simmons). But we didn’t get a chance to see him on the floor. There was no pressure for (Simmons) to step on the floor with us either. Ben’s good. We have Ben, we have his back. He’s going to be good for next year. But now we just turn the page and look forward to what we’re building as a franchise and really get tougher.”
- Speaking to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, Kevin Durant admitted that he was frustrated by Irving’s vaccine-related absences this season and wished Harden’s situation had played out differently, but said his bond with Irving remains strong and he wasn’t mad at Harden. Durant also pushed back against the notion that franchise players like him and LeBron James dictate roster moves for their respective teams. “I feel like that’s a narrative that (the media created). I don’t even think LeBron does that,” Durant told Goodwill. “He might have input or know some information. But him saying, ‘This is who you should get, that’s who you should get,’ I don’t think it works like that.”
- Ramona Shelburne of ESPN takes a look back at what went wrong for the Nets in 2021/22, explaining why the franchise must take responsibility for several of its setbacks, which weren’t just the result of bad luck.
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) and Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype preview the upcoming offseason in Brooklyn, with a focus on Kyrie Irving’s free agency, while Alex Schiffer of The Athletic lays out 10 important questions for the organization to answer this summer.
- In case you missed it, we also passed along several Nets notes on Monday night.
Lakers start with Westbrook trade
Nets start with Joe Harris trade
Curry and Mills are good
Brown is gone
Why would Brown be gone? He’s a solid rotation guy.
I don’t know if they can afford to resign him.
I was so wrong about the Nets. I thought that teams should jockey for position in the playoffs to avoid playing them and was happy when the Bucks dropped to the 3rd seed. It turns out that the Nets were the team that you wanted to play. What a mess! Boston is playing very well so it is not only about the Nets but they did appear to offer minimal resistance to the Celtics.
To be fair, although the Bulls were playing hard (at least initially), they’re about as close to a guaranteed first round victory as you can get.
I know the Nets got swept, but they still kept each of their matchups close, so they were no pushover.
As you pointed out, however, it’s apparent that favorable seeding only gets you so far
“ spend plenty of time this summer around the team’s practice facility, rather than “enjoying a celebrity vacation mindset,” Fischer adds.”
LOL
That statement sums up Ben Simmons perfectly.
The pre-draft scouting reports were accurate about his playing deficiencies and he hasn’t really resolved any of them.
These reports also mentioned that he was very talented but didn’t like to work at his craft. This has also proven accurate and is the real issue here.
As Texans like to say; “He’s all hat and no cattle.”
Or as Arkansans like to say, *They don’t even do that in Texas.*
“Ben’s good. We have Ben, we have his back.” at least they know where it’s at.
Celtics have fixed Al Horford, the 36 years old man.
Everything can be fixed. Be conficent.
Fix Ben Simmons
Fix Westbrook
Fix Harden
Horford’s issue in Phili was fit. His skillset wasn’t optimal to pair with Embiid and the coaching staff didn’t know how to use him.
I agree on Simmons and Westbrook but they have to want to be fixed/change their game.
“former NBA MVP has had to deal with more drama and adversity than expected since taking over the position in 2020.”
Well if Nash didn’t see that one coming maybe coaching is not for him. It was clear from the start that he was joining a drama-filled explosive situation.
Same unwritten rule applies for Simmons: It is hard to trade an injured/out player. Possible exception: Maybe for another injured player.
“We were trying to exercise every option for me to play…”
Except for the obvious one
“…but I never wanted it to just be about me”
And it wasn’t – you exhausted all possibilities to play but the one within your control.
Westbrook and a 1st for Simmons and Curry.
Westbrook gets out of L.A. and gets to play with his favorite cupcake again. Flank Westbrook with 3 knockdown shooters in Harris, Irving and Durant. They would also have 3 firsts when this thing burns to the ground.
Lakers get a shooter and a defensive stopper. Simmons ends up where he really wants to be.
What the frick would the Nets want with Westbrook? I guess his expiring contract, but he and Kyrie would kill each other.
For his expiring contract and a 1st I’d try it. I think Westbrook can be lethal with enough shooting and a finisher around him.
@seamaholic So where’s the bad? Sounds like a win-win!
Nash is gone.
“Part ways” if he has something else lined up. SAC?
Fired, if not, so he still gets his direct deposits every two weeks.
But… gone.
Are there odds out yet on whether Ben Simmons or Joe Harris are even on the roster next season?
BS and JH for Westbrick?
Joe Tsai is going to put a happy face on this, and he can certainly afford to fund BKN’s historical operating losses (for any sports franchise). But he can’t like being made a fool of, three times. I’m guessing that when things stabilize, he’ll recover his losses via a sale of the team, like the prior owner did.
Gee Cryree do you really think your move was a “ distraction” OMG this guy is clueless. Hopefully when he opts out the NETS move on. Guy is a first class Nut Job along with “ Hug my Bear” Simmons. Amazing how fragile some of these players are and how they have been coddled their entire lives. The Nets have 3 including Durant who has the most fragile ego of any player. They don’t need a coach they need a therapist.
Kyrie Irving admitted on Monday that his inability to play for much of the season due to his vaccination status was a “distraction at times” – That would be an accurate assessment