Getty Kevin Durant and Steve Nash look on during a recent game against the Miami Heat.
The Brooklyn Nets capped off a disappointing season on April 25 by being swept in the opening round of the playoffs against the Boston Celtics.
After reports indicated Ben Simmons would suit up and play in Game 4, he ended up not even being on the bench as the Nets lost at home to the Celtics.
Because of the way the team went out in the playoffs, there are going to be a lot of questions being asked of Brooklyn. Is Kyrie Irving coming back? What moves are going to be made in the offseason?
Boston ate Brooklyn alive with their size, and it even led to Kevin Durant playing center for a little bit because they knew they wouldn’t be able to stop the Celtics. Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge are both way past their primes, Andre Drummond isn’t guaranteed to come back, and Nic Claxton is still very young.
Another question is what will happen to head coach Steve Nash? He addressed those concerns after the game, but a lot can change in the coming days.
Nash Wants to Be Back
GettySteve Nash is willing to come back.
After a sweep of this magnitude, it’s no secret that a lot of fans are calling for Nash’s head, but that doesn’t seem like it’s going to be in the cards as he still has support from his star player Kevin Durant and the front office.
“Steve’s been dealt a crazy hand the last two years,” Durant said. “He’s had to deal with so much stuff as a head coach, a first-time coach: trades, injuries, COVID. It’s just a lot of stuff he’s had to deal with and I’m proud of how he’s focused and his passion for us. We all continue to keep developing over the summer and see what happens.”
When asked himself if he’d like to come back and coach the Nets again, Nash put it quite simply.
“Yeah. I loved doing this and love these guys, love my staff, love all the departments,” he said. “Really have a great working environment, really enjoyed it and want to continue doing it,” Nash said. “Ben Simmons and Joe Harris will give us a big lift and we’ll see how the rest of the roster rounds out, but we should be excited by that. Getting two of your top four guys back — two guys with size, one who’s an All-Star and one who’s one of the best shooters in the league — that gives us a big boost.”
What’s Next for the Team?
GettyIs Drummond leaving the Nets?
The Nets will have to work this offseason on getting Ben Simmons ready to be on the court for the opening tipoff. With Irving’s eligibility woes behind him, the team should be at full power.
They should use some help in the size department, and that can be done by either bringing Drummond back or searching elsewhere for a big man. Drummond has bounced around the league a lot since leaving the Pistons, and there’s a good chance he could find a new home again this summer.
Irving spoke about not building able to build a rapport with the Nets, so if that was really the issue, then next year there should be no problems.
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