‘It became too difficult’: Why Nets snubbed controversial coach as Kyrie saga takes another twist
The Nets have a head coach and one fewer potential scandal.
The Nets, who reportedly have been zeroing in on suspended Celtics coach Ime Udoka, as an alternative have eliminated the “interim” label on Jacque Vaughn, who’s now the pinnacle coach.
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The Nets have gone 2-2 in 4 video games since Steve Nash was fired, however beneath Vaughn, they’ve held their opponents beneath 100 factors for 3 video games straight – the one 3 times they’ve accomplished so this season.
“Jacque’s basketball acumen, competitiveness and intimate knowledge of our team and organisation make him the clear-cut best person to lead our group moving forward,” GM Sean Marks stated in an announcement Wednesday, earlier than the Nets hosted the Knicks.
“He has a proven ability to get the best out of our players, hold them accountable and play a cohesive, team-first style of basketball.”
The Nets already are navigating a saga round Kyrie Irving, who has been suspended at the least 5 video games for not outright stating he holds no anti-Semitic beliefs.
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Bringing in Udoka – whom the Celtics suspended for a full 12 months after a reported improper relationship with a feminine Celtics staffer – would have added yet one more headache.
“It became to difficult for the Nets to hire Ime Udoka with the events of the whole Kyrie Irving situation last week,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski revealed.
“And then certainly not just the potential backlash, but the disruption that would come with Irving’s return potentially some time around the beginning of a potential Udoka tenure.
“The Nets saw saw some stability and some traction with Jacque Vaughn in his time as the interim coach and a belief that he had started to stabilise this team.
“Kevin Durant and the veteran players have belief in Jacque Vaughn as does management and ownership. This is a coach who nearly would’ve been the head coach if they didn’t get Steve Nash coming out of the bubble.
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“The timing with Udoka I don’t think felt right for them. This is an organisation trying to stabilise things and right now Jacque Vaughn made more sense.”
In October, talking on ESPN’s “First Take,” Stephen A. Smith theorised that one of many causes the Celtics suspended Udoka somewhat than firing him was that they have been nervous he would change into the pinnacle coach of the rival Nets.
“I believe part of the reason he was suspended, not fired, is because the Boston Celtics did not want him to end up in Brooklyn,” Smith stated.
“I believe that Ime Udoka, had he gotten fired, with all the stuff that happened — remember, the operative words were ‘consensual relationship, violation of organisation policy!’ So because it’s that, it’s about your behaviour, which we don’t endorse, as opposed to a crime.
“And because there was nothing that was put out there that said it was a crime, I believe that if Ime Udoka had been fired by the Boston Celtics, the Brooklyn Nets would’ve fired Steve Nash and brought that brother back and he would be the coach for the Brooklyn Nets right now. That’s how emphatic I am about this.”
This story initially appeared on the New York Post and has been reposted with permission
