Unbelievable: Misunderstanding has resulted in the suspension of Brooklyn Nets head coach and…
Vaughn was let go on Monday, and Brooklyn is currently 8-23 since December 14. It’s challenging to conclude whether Vaughn has been leading the Nets effectively, but it’s also challenging to understand why management would anticipate more from an inexperienced, mismatched Nets team.
It’s a reflection of the disarray that has surrounded the Nets, who have failed to live up to the high standards set for them after moving to Brooklyn in 2012. They have had eight different coaches during that time, including two stints with Vaughn: Avery Johnson, P.J. Carlesimo, Jason Kidd, Lionel Hollins, Tony Brown, Kenny Atkinson, Vaughn, Steve Nash, and then Vaughn once more.
Atkinson managed the team through several extremely hard years when Boston owned the team for the longest, coaching 308 games.
playoff appearances and the rights to Brooklyn’s first-round selections. He was let go by General Manager Sean Marks just before the 2020 NBA lockout. Stars Later in the season, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving decided on Nash, but after two seasons, they lost interest in the rookie coach.
When the team is unable to determine its course, the identity of the head coach practically becomes irrelevant. The Nets are stuck in NBA purgatory following the disastrous James Harden trades, which cost them multiple draft picks and left them holding the impossible burden of Ben Simmons’ max contract.
Since trading Kevin Durant, they have picks from the Phoenix Suns, but they won’t have control over their own selections until 2028. Mikal Bridges, their best player, is a decent player but not a great one. Their lone child, Cam Thomas, is a promising player; he is a patchy scorer with a sporadic interest in defense. or vanishing.
The Nets were in the middle of contending and rebuilding at the trade deadline. Hardly moves that would change the course of the franchise: they dealt point guard Spencer Dinwiddie to acquire Dennis Schroder from the Toronto Raptors and dealt Royce O’Neale to acquire a pick swap.
There was insufficient long-term planning evident in the firing. Less than a year ago, Vaughn agreed to a contract extension through the 2026–2027 season. Due to Nash’s original contract expiring after the upcoming season, the Nets will now be paying three coaches.
Marks, meanwhile, stays put and is in charge of the team that he will be managing for the fifth time since his hiring in 2016. Owner Joe Tsai will eventually have to turn away from rotating coaches and take a closer look at the person who is consistently selecting and dismissing these coaches.
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