The Brooklyn Nets are going to be the must-watch team of the 2020-21 season.
It’s partially because they’ll finally have Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant taking the court with a very intriguing supporting cast.
But I’ll be tuning in because the franchise has put together one of the wildest groups of coaches I can think of.
Steve Nash, who has never been a head coach before, helms the staff. Then there’s Jacque Vaughn, who was the interim head coach for the team in the 2019-20 season after Kenny Atkinson was fired. But he’s still there under Nash, which feels to me like it might be a bit awkward after he was in the interim position.
There’s also the report Nash’s former teammate Amar’e Stoudemire joining the staff. And now? Their former “Seven Seconds or Less” coach Mike D’Antoni is about to join along with Ime Udoka, the now-former Spurs and Sixers assistant coach who has been a candidate for other head coaching jobs.
Mike D’Antoni and Ime Udoka are finalizing deals to become assistant coaches under Steve Nash with the Brooklyn Nets, sources tell ESPN. Together, D’Antoni and Nash were the architects of the Seven Seconds or Less Offense with the Phoenix Suns in the mid-2000’s.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 30, 2020
It’s getting pretty wild in Brooklyn. You have a lot of cooks in the kitchen there, especially with one of the most experienced coaches as an assistant and Nash with zero experience. On top of that, they’ll be directing Irving and Durant, two big personalities who can ruffle feathers with some of their quotes (even if they don’t mean to).
Remember what Irving said earlier in the month that made headlines?
Kyrie Irving speaks on the coaching situation: "I don't really see us having a "head" coach. KD could be a head coach, I could be a head coach (some days)."
KD adds: "Jacque Vaughn could be a head coach could do it one day. It's a collaborative effort."
— Alec Sturm (@alec_sturm) October 1, 2020
Kyrie Irving and KD praised new Nets Coach Steve Nash on the ETCs podcast, then Kyrie added: "I don't really see us having a "head" coach. KD could be a head coach, I could be a head coach (some days)"
KD: "Jacque Vaughn could be a head coach one day. It's a collaborative effort" pic.twitter.com/kZMIpSVbd8— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) October 2, 2020
Again, he wasn’t TRYING to stir the pot. But the situation brewing with the Nets feels like it could unravel if Irving and Durant don’t mesh well and Nash struggles while trying to allow D’Antoni and Vaughn to do their jobs, and then maybe Durant sends a cryptic tweet and Irving complains in an interview … you get it.
In other words, must-watch for a variety of reasons.
