Steve Nash Leaves Brooklyn Nets Following Disastrous Coaching Tenure, Ime Udoka Possible Replacement
Before Tuesday night's game against the Chicago Bulls, Sean Marks, the general manager of the Brooklyn Nets, said that he and Steve Nash agreed that it was the right time to make a move.
According to ESPN, The Nets had a rough start with 2-5, and the team announced that Nash is out as their head coach.
"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."
Marks also added that they have failed to meet their goal and made the decision at the right time as they still have a high aspiration of where to get to.
Nash expressed his gratitude for an "amazing experience with many challenges that I'm incredibly grateful for."
— Steve Nash (@SteveNash) November 1, 2022
Suspended Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka is said to replace Nash.
Steve Nash as Brooklyn Net's Head Coach Was Filled With Controversies
Steve Nash became Brooklyn's coach on September 30, 2020, replacing Kenny Atkinson, who coached Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in their first year while the latter recovered from an Achilles injury. Nash was hired as a head coach for the first time.
Expectations for Nash and the Nets have always been high, but they significantly shifted after the team acquired James Harden in a trade on January 14, 2021.
In the deal, the Nets gave Houston Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, three first-round draft picks in 2022, 2024, and 2026, and four swaps of first-round picks in 2021, 2023, 2025, and 2027.
SB Nation said the "big three" of Durant, Harden, and Irving from Brooklyn were historically excellent, but their squad never quite lived up to the expectations. Injury concerns plagued the Nets' remaining 2021 season.
The team beat the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round in a tight seven-game series.
Throughout the series, Harden and Irving both had injuries; Harden eventually made a comeback at the end of the series.
Durant did well, but his love of clown shoes cost the game as his supposedly three-point winning shot counted only for two as he was found stepping on the line.The Nets lost in overtime in game seven.
Kyrie Irving skipped games the following season because he declined to get the COVID vaccination that New York City had enforced.
Harden became irritated with Irving's absence and requested a trade; then, the Nets got swept by Boston.
The franchise did not want to sign Irving to a long-term deal over the offseason, and Durant wanted out. However, Durant later dropped his trade request, and Irving returned on a one-year contract.
The team also had to figure out how to work with Ben Simmons, who they got when they traded for Harden. Simmons was a star for the 76ers, but he missed the whole season due to a holdout and a back injury.
Steve Nash struggled badly for the Brooklyn Nets and could never inspire the team to reach its full potential.
Ime Udoka to Replace Steve Nash as Brooklyn Net's Head Coach
Shams Charania of The Athletic said in a tweet that the Nets want to replace Steve Nash as head coach with Ime Udoka.
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
Udoka is still the Celtics' head coach, but due to allegations that he had improper contact with a female employee, he has been suspended for the 2022-2023 campaign.
Sources tell Charania that Boston let Brooklyn talk to Udoka and will let him leave on his own, Hoops Rumor reported.
Before being hired by the Celtics, Udoka served as an assistant coach at San Antonio and Philadelphia. He also spent one 2020-21 season working for the Brooklyn Nets under Nash.
According to Wojnarowski's tweets, Brooklyn hopes Udoka can strengthen the team's defense and get the respect of the Nets' star players, such as Durant and Irving.
The hope is that Udoka can tighten the Nets defensively and command the respect of franchise's key players. Udoka spent a season on Steve Nash's staff before accepting the Celtics job and winning the Eastern Conference. With suspension, his future in Boston was essentially over.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 1, 2022
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This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Bert Hoover
WATCH: The Nets fire Steve Nash as head coach after 2-5 start to the season - From ESPN
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