Don't Scapegoat Nash For Depleted Nets’ Slump
Following Wednesday night’s Nets postgame program, I decided to keep the WFAN stream open to listen to new host Keith McPherson. While it was disappointing to hear him talk about the depleted Brooklyn squad that came up just short in a surprisingly-competitive 124-118 loss to visiting Denver, I must say that it was refreshing to hear a Nets fan on the overnight after all those years cringing at Steve Somers’ Knicks-centric shtick.
McPherson’s first caller, however, thought that the moment demanded a critique of Steve Nash, as if the blame for this defeat, as well as the other nine in the previous 15 games, fell squarely on the head of the Nets’ second-year head coach.
Excuse me? Did that guy see the list of the nine Nets available who were forced to take on the Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets? None of whom were named Kevin Durant (PCL strain), James Harden (hamstring maintenance) or Kyrie Irving (unvaccinated and ineligible to play home games)?
I’m sorry, but you could have put an amalgam of Red Auerbach, Pat Riley, Phil Jackson, and Gregg Popovich on the Nets’ sideline and they weren’t winning that game.
For those who didn’t follow me on the WFAN.com website, I’ve been highly critical of Nash since he was hired prior to last season. I didn’t believe it was strategically prudent to entrust a team with NBA championship aspirations to such an inexperienced candidate, noting that greatness on the court had no correlation to greatness as a coach. If you need further evidence, read the above four names again—two of them never even played in the NBA.
Nash’s rookie season was fraught with all the missteps one would expect from a coach learning the ropes on things like timeout usage and understanding matchups when managing player rotations. Still, I have to believe that if Harden hadn’t strained his hamstring late in the season, Irving hadn’t landed on Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s foot in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, and Durant’s shoe size was slightly smaller so that his buzzer-beating three-pointer would have knocked the eventual champion Bucks out in Game 7 instead of merely sending it into overtime, there would have been a parade down Flatbush Avenue last summer.
In other words, the Nets were more out-lucked than outcoached.
And if last season’s injury-fueled chaos wasn’t enough, the Nets have been even more beleaguered in the first 48 games of 2021-22, only this time with a weaker supporting cast. Nash doesn’t have the likes of current Denver forward Jeff Green at his disposal to plug holes in the lineup—he’s instead relying heavily on players like DeAndre’ Bembry and James Johnson, guys who probably wouldn’t crack any other contender’s rotation. That this downward spiral since a sweep of the two Los Angeles-based clubs around Christmas has only dropped the Nets (29-19) into fourth place in the condensed East is a testament to Nash’s growth on the bench.
Wednesday’s contest shouldn’t have even been close. The Nets could not boast a single proven playmaker and were often forced into utilizing lineups featuring multiple non-shooters who did not require attention outside the paint. Yet Brooklyn played with pace and moved the ball to score 116.8 points per 100 possessions, a rate that would lead the league if maintained for a full season.
If there was only a smidgeon more skill in Nets uniforms so that they could have converted more than 17-of-31 attempts (54.8%, where the league median, per NBA.com, is 64%) from inside the restricted area, who knows? Maybe Brooklyn could have stolen it.
With all the injuries, COVID-19 protocols, and Irving’s obstinate refusal to become a full-time member of the team, establishing and then evaluating a set rotation has been impossible for Nash this season. What coach has to figure out how to play one way at home and a different way on the road in order to placate a superstar? The league hasn’t seen anything like that in like a half a century.
That hasn’t stopped me from criticizing Nash when it’s warranted. Just a few days ago, I ranted about how he opted to go with Johnson as a small-ball 5 for a key fourth quarter stretch against Minnesota and center Karl-Anthony Towns—a bad idea. A very, very bad idea.
Nash sometimes goes too far with his experimentations, such as his auditions to start wing David Duke Jr. and then center Day’Ron Sharpe where neither rookie exactly earned such promotions (Kessler Edwards, though, has been a hit since he was inserted into the starting 5). Meanwhile, fellow rookie Cam Thomas is often languishing on the bench when the team has been in desperate need of a shot creator.
Looking ahead, I’m also concerned that the Nets will be at a disadvantage when facing some of the league’s outstanding coaches come playoff time, when adjustments are crucial to a team’s success in a series. Still, I’m of the opinion that Nash ran circles around the overrated Brad Stevens in last postseason’s first-round victory over the Celtics and then matched wits with Mike Budenholzer for seven games before the Bucks somehow escaped.
As Nets General Manager Sean Marks has stated since Day 1, Nash’s main task has been to act as a facilitator. Though s recent Bleacher Report story reported that Harden had concerns about Nash’s rotations, the lines of communication do not appear to be blocked—before Wednesday’s game, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski all but shut down the talk of a midseason trade due to Harden’s alleged disenchantment and I have yet to read any leaked report suggesting that the players, particularly the star players, have stopped listening. When veteran forward Paul Millsap felt unappreciated after numerous DNP-CDs, he quietly went to the organization, who then agreed to start the process of finding a new team for him.
Even with Millsap, a player for whom I had high hopes when Marks signed him to a veteran minimum free agent deal in the offseason but wasn’t really utilized optimally, I can’t really blame Nash when Millsap didn’t produce enough during the opportunities he was given.
The bottom line has been the same since Day 1 of Nash’s tenure—the Nets are all in on title-or-bust but their fortunes are tied to the availability of their stars, maybe more so this season because of the team’s inadequate depth. If the Big 3 can finally take the court together for an extended period starting in mid-April, I like their chances, even with Nash on the sideline. Take away one or more of the stars, however, and the season will probably end prematurely.
So if you’re seeking a scapegoat for this Nets’ slide, look elsewhere. Have a word with Lady Luck first.