Nets fire Steve Nash odds: Brooklyn coach's future in question after first-round NBA playoff sweep by Celtics
Will Coach Steve Nash return next season for Brooklyn?
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This was not the NBA season for the alleged super-team. The Los Angeles Lakers of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook didn't even make the playoffs and fired coach Frank Vogel. The Brooklyn Nets of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden/Ben Simmons got swept out of the first round by the Boston Celtics on Monday night, leading many to wonder whether Coach Steve Nash will be back next season. SportsLine offers odds.
For what it's worth, Stephen A. Smith and Colin Cowherd both have called for Nash to be fired after the series sweep, but they get paid to stir the pot and I'm pretty sure the Nets don't care what they think. Nash had no head coaching experience before taking this job but was a Hall of Fame point guard in the league, so he has the respect of his players. Nash was hired with the support of star forward Kevin Durant, whom he worked with in Golden State. If Durant wants Nash to stay, that's likely what will happen.
"Come on, man. Yeah," Durant said when asked if Nash is still the man for the job. "Steve has been dealt a crazy hand the last two years. He's been having to deal with so much stuff as a head coach, first coach: trades, injuries, COVID, just a lot of stuff. I'm proud of just how he focused and his passion for us."
It's not Nash's fault that Irving decided to not get vaccinated and missed a large chunk of the season. Or that Harden quit on his team and forced a trade to Philadelphia. Or that Simmons didn't play a single second with Brooklyn because of "mental" and physical issues. Nash had more than 35 different starting lineups in each of his two seasons. It is fair to say, though, that he was badly outcoached in the Boston series by his former assistant Ime Udoka, the Celtics head coach.
Assuming Irving returns next season (has a player option), Simmons actually plays and with Joe Harris returning from ankle surgery, the Nets will be among the preseason favorites for the 2023 NBA title. NBA insider Marc Stein has reported that Nash is unlikely to be fired because he also has the support of owner Joe Tsai.
"I love doing this," Nash told reporters Monday. "Love these guys. Love my staff. Love all the departments. [I] really had a great working environment, really enjoyed it. I want to continue doing it."
Thus, we can apparently rule out Nash walking away on his own.
Via SportsLine oddsmakers: Will Steve Nash be Nets coach for the 2022-23 season opener?
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