Here are three advantages Jacque Vaughn has in the Nets coaching search.
After an exceptional run during the seeding games, the Brooklyn Nets appear to have met their match in the first round of the playoffs. However, their tenacity and grit continues to be the focal talking point among fans, and rightfully so.
The monster underdogs defied the odds and rallied to trim a 30-point deficit in the first half of Game 1 to single digits in the third quarter. Brooklyn ended up getting blown out by the Raptors, but — as the team has done numerous times since arriving in the Bubble — it rebounded to make things competitive the following game.
The final possession proved to be the nail in the coffin as Toronto escaped with a 104-99 victory to take a 2-0 series lead. As demoralizing as those two losses were, fans in Brooklyn would admit that they served as a perfect reminder why interim head coach Jacque Vaughn should be leading way in the team’s coaching search.
Y’all already know its Jacque Vaughn
— Talkin’ Nets (@TalkinNets) August 13, 2020
By now, you should know where we stand in the seemingly never-ending debate about who should lead the Nets once Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving return next season. In our eyes, Vaughn should have nothing more to prove, so here are three advantages he has over other potential candidates.
3. His Adjustments Will Help Durant-Irving Transition
Some might view Vaughn’s lack of experience coaching stars as a blemish that devalues his credibility as a long-term fit, and we have zero tolerance for those scorching takes. He’ll obviously need to prove himself with the likes of Durant and Irving leading the way, but it’s not like he doesn’t share a relationship with Brooklyn’s marquee free agent signings.
Vaughn was serving as an assistant before Irving underwent shoulder surgery, and Durant was spotted sitting on the Nets bench encouraging his teammates for a large chunk of the season post-rehab.
Putting that ridiculous narrative aside, Vaughn’s in-game adjustments have arguably been the most impressive component of his 12-game stint. The 45-year-old has proven he can adapt on the fly, so we hold no doubts he’ll be able to do the same in terms of blending KD and Kyrie into the rotation with potentially more than three months to prepare.
2. He’s Already Familiar With the Roster
Can somebody please explain to us why superstars always need to be coddled and considered when hiring a new coach? We get that (in most cases) their egos are gargantuan, but we’d love nothing more than squashing that narrative. Say it with us, folks: True superstars should be able to play for any head coach.
Vaughn’s familiarity with the Nets roster cannot and should not be understated during the hiring process. He might only have 12 games under his belt, across which he’s posted a 7-5 record, but it’s clear he knows what rotations work and how to get the best out of his players, which speaks volumes considering the lack of talent he’s working with right now.
Any potential outside candidate would legitimately have zero idea what they’d be walking into. Outside of a handful of bubble players — like Caris LeVert, Joe Harris and Jarrett Allen, to name a few — the Nets roster is mostly comprised of guys playing just to keep a job in the NBA next season. In his current post, Vaughn is positioned perfectly to manage through that would-be mess if Brooklyn brought in somebody else. If that’s not an advantage, we don’t know what is.
1. The Team Clearly Wants to Win for Him
As previously stated, Brooklyn rosters several guys who are playing out of their skin in pursuit of a spot on the team next year, or potentially for a new contract with another organization. However, if the players didn’t respect Vaughn on a professional level, they would have mailed it in upon touching down in Orlando.
Instead, the Nets have quite literally shocked the basketball world, compiling numerous upset victories on their way to clinching the No. 7 seed in the East. They might have dropped the opening two games against Toronto, but considering the number of key rotational players missing, Vaughn shouldn’t be graded on Brooklyn’s wins and losses versus the defending champs.
What more examples does general manager Sean Marks need to see that Vaughn is the right man for the job? Since the restart, the Nets have defeated the Bucks and Clippers, while taking the playoff-desperate Blazers down to the final possession and clawing back from a 30-point deficit in Game 1 against Toronto.
Brooklyn enjoys playing for Vaughn. More importantly, however, the team’s performance in Disney has proven they want to win for him. Nothing else should matter.