Steve Nash’s head coaching tenure began with a few head scratches and raised eyebrows. It ended early this week though — with fans putting their heads in their hands amidst another drama-filled week of Brooklyn Nets basketball.
Dwelling toward the Eastern Conference’s basement with a 2-6 record, the Nets look like an extension of last year’s tumultuous squad rather than the newly unified team we expected them to be. They look lost at sea and consequently find themselves looking around for a new captain.
Earlier this week, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Nets intend to sign suspended Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka as their replacement. Udoka also operated as an assistant head coach for Brooklyn before he left for Beantown.
At this point, all signs point to Udoka moving back onto the Nets bench but as their head honcho this time around. However, Nets general manager Sean Marks reiterated earlier this week that the team’s coaching search remained ongoing.
Sean Marks says the Nets have "absolutely not" made a determination on who their next head coach will be
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) November 1, 2022
"The candidates that we're looking for, that's going to be their attributes - competitive, having a voice, holding guys accountable" pic.twitter.com/SD8o4FUP9Y
Even with Udoka as the favorite, other candidates to fill this new void for Brooklyn not only exist but are still in the running. As the Nets move forward in their search process, keep an eye out for these three dark horse candidates who could surprise you and land the gig.