Tag: Jacque Vaughn

Report: multiple Nets players took issue with Jacque Vaughn’s offense

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, multiple Nets players had issue with the offense under Jacque Vaughn.

 

The Brooklyn Nets are pushing forward with their season after firing Jacque Vaughn and promoting Kevin Ollie to replace him. As what has come with an eventful Monday for the franchise, there are more reports coming out about the context surrounding Vaughn’s firing.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium on Monday, there were multiple Nets players, including Spencer Dinwiddie and Mikal Bridges, who had an issue with how the offense was being run under Jacque Vaughn. Charania said on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back show that those players “were pretty vocal” in the background regarding their displeasure with the offensive structure and how it was performing.

While the Nets are 18th in the NBA in offensive rating (115.3) coming out of the All-Star break, which is understandable considering that none of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden are no longer on the team, Brooklyn was eighth in the league in offensive rating (117.7) during their 13-10 start to this season.

Since then, the Nets are just 25th in the NBA in offensive rating (112.1) which lends credence to Brooklyn’s offense being figured out by the rest of the league. One factor that severely changed for the Nets was that they went from third in the NBA in three-point shooting (38.9%) to just 24th (35.2%) from deep.

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Report: Nets name Kevin Ollie as interim head coach

According to various reports on Monday, the Brooklyn Nets have hired Kevin Ollie to be the interim head coach to replace Jacque Vaughn.

The Brooklyn Nets still have the mindset of turning around their season in time to get back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture with 28 games left. After firing Jacque Vaughn on Monday, the Nets have quickly pivoted to someone who’s already on the coaching staff to be the interim head coach.

Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Brooklyn is naming Kevin Ollie their interim head coach. After Vaughn was fired on Monday following a season in which the Nets began with a 13-10 record only to go 8-23 heading into the All-Star break, Brooklyn has found their replacement for Vaughn with minimal time lost.

After Vaughn’s firing, the Nets announced that they would be searching for an interim coach to appoint in the near future, but with Brooklyn resuming its season on Thursday at the Toronto Raptors, it made sense to find the interim coach as soon as possible. Ollie was hired by the Nets heading into this season to be a part of Vaughn’s coaching staff.

Ollie, 51, played in the NBA from 1995 to 2010 before transitioning into coaching, beginning his coaching career as an assistant coach for the University of Connecticut. Ollie became the head coach of the Huskies in 2012 and remained in that role until 2018 when he was fired from the university after the NCAA began an investigation into the program.

After going through almost four years of litigation against the University of Connecticut over whether he was fired with just cause, he eventually won his case against the school and was given back pay. Ollie has experience with Overtime Elite as he was hired by the league to be the head of coaching and player development.

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Report: some within the Nets had concerns about Jacque Vaughn

According to Ian Begley of SNY, some within the Brooklyn Nets’ organization had concerns about Jacque Vaughn “hindering” their future.

The Brooklyn Nets have made news during the All-Star break by firing head coach Jacque Vaughn after a lackluster 1.5 seasons as the leader of the team. While the Nets will be naming an interim head coach in the near future, there are some reports surfacing that could provide context into Vaughn’s dismissal.

According to Ian Begley of SNY, his sources said that “some within the Nets had concerns that Vaughn could hinder their chances at landing a top player” prior to the news. This report could indicate that Vaughn’s job could have depended on more than just how the team performed, even if they were able to make it back in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

Begley also pointed out in his piece that, according to his sources, “several players had lost confidence in him amid Brooklyn’s struggles” as Brooklyn entered the All-Star break with a 21-33 record, good for 11th place in the East. It was clear that the players, most notably Mikal Bridges, were becoming more frustrated with the team’s recent bout of losing.

It has been known for awhile that the Nets are more interested in trying to improve until it is able to acquire a star-level player at some point in the future. If those within the organization truly wanted to make that plan happen, it would have been hard for them to move forward with confidence knowing how they felt about Vaughn’s long-tern future.

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The Nets fired head coach Jacque Vaughn amid mediocre season and fans had mixed reactions

Jacque Vaughn is out as the Nets’ head coach, and fans ran the gamut of emotions over the decision.

The Brooklyn Nets front office is completely over the team’s underwhelming season and has shown head coach Jacque Vaugh the door.

Things aren’t exactly cozy in Brooklyn. Jacque Vaughn, who was in his second year as head coach of the Nets, is out after a disappointing  21-33 season. Brooklyn is in 11th place in the east and sits 21.5 games back from Boston, the current leader in the Atlantic.

According to Ian Begley of SNY, several players had also lost confidence in Vaughn’s abilities, which never bodes well for a coach to stay long-term. Not to mention, a 50-point loss at TD Garden to the Boston Celtics, just days before the All-Star game, left a sour taste in the organization.

An interim coach is expected to be named at a later date.

Here’s what fans thought of the move:

Nets fire head coach Jacque Vaughn

The Brooklyn Nets announced on Monday that they are firing head coach Jacque Vaughn after 1.5 seasons with Vaughn at the helm.

The Brooklyn Nets are looking to turn their season around after going from a 13-10 record to start this season to a 21-33 mark heading into the All-Star break. While everyone within the organization has to be better if the team is going to reach those playoff heights, the team decided that one of those members will no longer be a part of that journey.

The Nets announced on Monday that they are relieving head coach Jacque Vaughn of his coaching duties after being just 64-65 in just roughly 1.5 seasons in his second stint as the head coach. Vaughn had been the head coach for Brooklyn ever since Steve Nash was fired after guiding Brooklyn to a 2-5 start last season.

While Vaughn has done plenty of good for the Nets in the sense of some of the younger players developing, such as Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe, Vaughn’s tenure was marred by Brooklyn falling below the expectations of the fanbase. Ultimately, head-coaching in the NBA is based on results and the Nets just didn’t have those results under his leadership.

Nets general manager Sean Marks issued the following statement on the firing of Vaughn:

“This was an incredibly difficult decision, but one we feel is in the best interest of the team going forward. Jacque has represented this organization with exemplary character and class for the past eight years. The consistent positivity and passion he poured into our team daily will remain with the players and staff he interacted with throughout his tenure. We thank Jacque for all he has done for the Nets and the borough of Brooklyn, and wish him, Laura and their family nothing but the best in the future.”

Vaughn ends his second head-coaching stint with the Nets with a total record of 71-68. His first stint as the head coach of the Nets was towards the end of the 2019-20 season as he guided the team to a 7-3 record after Brooklyn and then-head coach Kenny Atkinson mutually agreed to part ways.

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Nets’ Jacque Vaughn says Cam Johnson is ‘on track’ to play Wednesday at Celtics

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said Tuesday that forward Cam Johnson is ‘on track’ to play Wednesday at the Boston Celtics.

NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson has missed the past three games due to a left adductor strain that will also cause him to miss Tuesday’s matchup against the Boston Celtics. However, it looks like Brooklyn will continue to get healthier with some good news that was given on Tuesday.

“Yeah, looks like he’s on track to play tomorrow, which is good,” Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said prior to Tuesday’s contest against the Celtics, beginning the front end of a back-to-back. Johnson was ruled out for Tuesday’s game when the team practiced on Monday, but there was optimism that Johnson could play before the All-Star break began.

While it is not set in stone that Johnson will be playing Wednesday in Boston, it is encouraging that he is on track to return from that adductor strain instead of needing more time to rehab that injury. Johnson, 27, is averaging 13.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 45.8% from the field and 40.1% from three-point land.

Tuesday also marks the return of center Day’Ron Sharpe after missing the past 15 games with a left knee hyperextension. Vaughn said that it’s good to have Ben Simmons, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Sharpe back healthy as those players represent “a lot of rebounding” for the Nets.

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Nets’ Jacque Vaughn, Cam Thomas preview Kyrie Irving’s return to Brooklyn

Kyrie Irving makes his return to Brooklyn on Tuesday. Cam Thomas and Jacque Vaughn of the Brooklyn Nets give their take on his return.

NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets already saw the return of Kevin Durant to Brooklyn last week when they lost to Durant and the Phoenix Suns in a 136-120 defeat. Now, Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving will be the last member of the big three era to make his return to Barclays Center on Tuesday to face Brooklyn. No one knows what will happen.

“I have no idea what to expect in this world anymore,” Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said prior to Tuesday’s showdown when asked about what he thinks Irving’s return will be like. Irving had some tumultuous times during his tenure with the Nets, but Vaughn comes away from that period with a positive mindset.

“What I do know from my time with Kai is a tremendous amount of respect that he and I have for each other,” Vaughn said. Nets guard Cam Thomas spent the first 1.5 seasons of his career as a teammate of Irving and by all accounts, their time together was positive. Thomas will still see Irving as an opponent tonight despite their relationship.

“It’s good to have the competition,” Thomas said. “Those moments I live for, you know, always want to play against guys in my position like that. But, at the end of the day, he’s still my brother. But, I still got to go at him no matter what. So, it’ll definitely be good playing him here.”

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Nets’ Jacque Vaughn says Ben Simmons is available moving forward

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said prior to Saturday’s game at the Philadelphia 76ers that Ben Simmons is available moving forward.

PHILADELPHIA — The Brooklyn Nets have been arguably one of the most talked about teams in the NBA with the trade deadline on Feb. 8. Brooklyn is trying to hang on to their hopes of being in the Eastern Conference playoff picture come April and they should have one of the best players on the court moving forward.

“Yeah, he would have played the other day (Wednesday night against the Phoenix Suns) except for the acute injury that happened in the game (Monday against the Utah Jazz),” Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said of Ben Simmons prior to Saturday’s road matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. Simmons was listed as probable prior to Saturday when he was upgraded to available.

“So, he (Simmons) was fully back from the time away (with the nerve impingement in his lower left back) so all inclination going forward as he’s available for games,” Vaughn said. That has to be good news for everyone in the Nets organization and fanbase given how much time Simmons has missed over his past few seasons with the team due to a variety of injuries.

Addressing the rest of Brooklyn’s injuries, Vaughn said that center Day’Ron Sharpe, out due to a left knee hyperextension, has been doing more court work and has progressed to contact with coaches. Vaughn said that Dorian Finney-Smith, out with a left ankle sprain, is still “day-to-day” and that the team will see if he can go next week.

Dennis Smith Jr., questionable for Saturday due to right foot soreness, will go through his pregame routine to see if he can play. The 76ers will be missing three rotation players, including superstar center Joel Embiid, and could be missing two more rotation pieces with Tobias Harris and Nic Batum listed as questionable.

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Nets’ Jacque Vaughn says there’s ‘always been’ thoughts to start Cam Thomas

After Saturday’s 106-104 win over the Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said that Cam Thomas is always on his mind.

NEW YORK — One of the underlying themes for the Brooklyn Nets this season has been whether super-scoring young guard Cam Thomas should be starting for a team needing more offensive juice.

After Thomas started and scored 37 points in Saturday’s 106-104 win over the Houston Rockets, Brooklyn head coach Jacque Vaughn seemingly admitted that the thought of Thomas starting has never left his mind.

“The thoughts have always been there,” Vaughn said after the Nets won a game against the Rockets in which Brooklyn led by as many as 28 points, but melted down in the fourth quarter in such a fashion that Houston had the chance to steal the win at the end.

Thomas has been one of the bright spots for a Nets team that has underachieved to the point of possibly missing the play-in tournament at this rate. Vaughn stressed that Thomas starting or not had more to do with balance than anything else.

“It’s always been about trying to balance that (starting) group out and I know Cam can score with the first group or the second group. That’s what he can do and I loved his aggressiveness tonight, we needed it. He set the tone for us early, his ability to make shots is huge,” Vaughn said.

The Nets have seemed like one of those teams that has six or seven players that could start for this team and when the losses pile up, there is always concern whether the correct five are starting. At this point, Thomas has shown that he can perform whether he’s starting or not.

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Nets’ Ben Simmons is likely to return to the court next week vs. Jazz

Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said on Saturday that Ben Simmons is ‘likely’ to return for Monday’s game against the Utah Jazz.

NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons has played just six games this season after a nerve impingement in his lower left back in the beginning of November took him off the court for a significant amount of time. However, the good news is that he should be back for the Nets soon.

“Yeah, all signs point towards the likelihood of him playing next week,” Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said of Simmons prior to Saturday’s matchup against the Houston Rockets. Simmons practiced earlier in the day on Saturday with the Long Island Nets and per Vaughn, everything went well during that session.

Vaughn mentioned that Simmons has a “high likelihood” of returning to the court for Monday’s home game against the Utah Jazz.

In other news, as Nets Wire covered previously, Cam Johnson will miss Saturday’s game against the Rockets due to personal reasons. Per Vaughn, it seems that whatever Johnson is going through, he will come back to the team shortly.

As a result, Cam Thomas will start in Johnson’s place. Thomas, who is second on the team in scoring with a 20.5 points per game average, will draw his 21st start of the season. When he has started, Thomas is averaging 22.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 43.9% from the field and 36.4% from three-point range.

Vaughn said that backup center Day’Ron Sharpe, who is averaging 7.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in 16.0 minutes primarily off the bench, is still “far behind” from practicing at this moment. He’s been doing individual work while allowing his hyperextended left knee to heal.

In more injury news, Dariq Whitehead, the 22nd overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, will be getting season-ending surgery to address the stress reaction in his left shin, according to Vaughn. Vaughn said that it’s still too early to see if Whitehead will be able to participate in the summer league, but that the team will have an update after his surgery on Monday.

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