Jacque Vaughn has carried his brief, strong start as interim head coach of the Brooklyn Nets — which started two games before the league’s hiatus — into the Disney bubble.
Despite the absence of Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan, Taurean Prince and Wilson Chandler (on top of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving), the Nets have won three of their first five Disney bubble games, upsetting the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 team in the process.
Although Nets general manager Sean Marks expressed before the NBA’s restart Vaughn would not be judged for the permanent head coaching position based on wins and losses in the Disney bubble, it’s hard to ignore what he’s done. Especially when it prompts remarks like this one from Caris LeVert, per Anthony Puccio of Nets Daily:
[Vaughn has] done an amazing job, everybody in the organization trusts him. … He’s been doing great with adjustments.
But, while ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Sunday that Vaugh has been “assured of getting significant consideration to keep the [Nets head coach] job,” he still doesn’t have the title yet.
Some of the other names that have been thrown in the ring are Ty Lue and former Nets player and head coach Jason Kidd. And it turns out those two are being considered for another position, as well.
Woj is reporting Alvin Gentry’s time in New Orleans could be up when his contract ends this year. If that’s the case, Lue and Kidd will be two names to watch, per Woj.