Within the aftermath of Election Day, the Nets selected the underdog over the spectacular front-runner overflowing with crimson flags.
“I used to be the write-in candidate,” Jacque Vaughn stated Wednesday earlier than he led the Nets to a 112-85 romp over the Knicks at Barclays Heart in his debut as head coach. “However I’m OK with that.
“I stated to my spouse: I may need not been her first alternative, and we’ve been collectively 20 years, so it could actually all work out.”
The Nets share that hope after they eliminated the “interim” tag from Vaughn, who was filling in as head coach for the reason that firing of Steve Nash final week, and opted in opposition to including yet one more scandal to their plate.
The Nets reportedly had been zeroing in on suspended Celtics coach Ime Udoka, who would have introduced a glowing on-court fame and one other off-court headache for a staff already coping with the suspended Kyrie Irving.
As a substitute, the Nets promoted Vaughn, who had taken over for Nash on Nov. 1. In 5 video games with Vaughn, they've gone 3-2 and confirmed much more effort and cohesion than they'd of their 2-5 begin underneath Nash.
“We don’t need this to be a honeymoon stage for us,” stated Kevin Durant, who added he was “excited” for Vaughn.
After destroying the Knicks on each ends, the Nets have held their opponents underneath 100 factors in 4 consecutive video games — the one 4 instances they'd executed so this season.
The Nets discovered “someone with some stability,” basic supervisor Sean Marks stated of Vaughn, who was in his seventh season as a Nets assistant, has twice been their interim head coach and performed for the staff in New Jersey from 2004-06. “Poised underneath stress. Gentleman. That’s form of who he's. He’s seen all of it. He is aware of all of us. There’s a relationship right here that he already has — whether or not it’s entrance workplace and workers and likewise the gamers.
“At this specific time, to be trustworthy, we had been going to have to search out someone higher than JV to ensure that it to not be JV.”
It's troublesome to argue Udoka, a Nets assistant within the 2020-21 season, wouldn't have introduced a greater résumé. As a rookie head coach final season, Udoka led the Celtics to a 51-31 regular-season end and guided them to the NBA Finals, earlier than they fell two wins in need of a title.
The Celtics, nevertheless, suspended Udoka for a yr shortly earlier than this season started after a reported improper relationship with a feminine staff staffer was revealed.
It's unclear how shut the Nets got here to selecting Udoka, who would have arrived to criticism from inside and outdoors the group. A number of girls’s teams publicly disapproved of the Nets’ potential hiring of Udoka, and The Publish’s Brian Lewis reported the franchise not too long ago held a gathering wherein feminine workers members expressed considerations.
“It’s by no means applicable to speak about who could or could not have been a candidate for this job,” Marks stated when requested about Udoka. “All I can let you know is there was an exhaustive search, we went by candidates, and I’ll go away it at that.”
Vaughn, whose deal will run by the 2023-24 season, in line with ESPN, was the Nets’ interim head coach for 10 regular-season video games and a first-round playoff loss to the Raptors in 2020, after Kenny Atkinson was fired.
His solely expertise as full-time head coach got here with unhealthy Magic groups from 2012-15, with which he went 58-158.
“I used to be a younger coach,” stated Vaughn, 47, whose bushy beard with massive swaths of grey helps show his maturation. “I’m undoubtedly glad I took that job. It made me a greater assistant coach, [knowing] what my head coach wants alongside the best way.”
Vaughn stated he has not but talked to Irving, who was suspended for no less than 5 video games after selling an anti-Semitic film and initially failing to apologize. Vaughn stated he has a “nice” relationship with Durant, feeling he has discovered when to hear and when to speak with the celebrity ahead.
“I do know the work that he places in every single day,” Durant stated of Vaughn. “I understand how a lot he cares concerning the improvement of every participant and his staff as a complete.”
Marks stated Durant — who is thought to be shut with Udoka — had no say within the rent.
So a franchise that invitations controversy at each flip selected the uncontroversial candidate proper underneath its nostril. And no less than within the rapid aftermath, they're profitable.
What's the distinction between the Nash Nets and the Vaughn Nets?
“Doing a few issues scheme-wise, however actually, it’s simply mentality,” Seth Curry stated after scoring 23 factors Wednesday. “Guys rallying collectively, bringing extra of a aggressive mindset as a bunch.”
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