On this episode of the HoopsHype podcast, we discuss Nets’ hiring of Nash, how close Gregg Popovich was to coaching the Nets, and more.
[protected-iframe id=”607b0bb901d12b8b17c7ae6a2af4097e-85827622-190846313″ info=”https://omny.fm/shows/the-hoopshype-podcast-with-alex-kennedy/michael-scotto-and-anthony-puccio-on-the-steve-nas/embed?style=cover” width=”100%” height=”180″ frameborder=”0″]
On this episode of the HoopsHype podcast, Michael Scotto is joined by Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily. Scotto and Puccio discuss the reaction to Brooklyn’s hiring of Steve Nash, how close Gregg Popovich was to coaching the Nets, what the rest of the assistant coaching staff could look like, and more. Is Caris LeVert the team’s third star? Which Nets players will be trade candidates this summer?
:20 – Initial reactions to Nash’s hiring.
1:20 – The possibility of Gregg Popovich coaching the Nets.
Puccio: “As far as I’m concerned, and what I was told, was Pop was definitely somebody that they had on the table. They wanted a big name back when they fired Kenny Atkinson coming into this next season, where Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are going to be healthy, as we assume. I understand that they wanted to get him. He was definitely a name that was on their list, but throughout the process, I was being told it was far fetched. There were a lot of obstacles to get him.”
4:34 – Evaluating the roles Joe Tsai and Sean Marks had in the hiring process.
7:03 – The comparison to the Jason Kidd hiring.
10:07 – The shift in Brooklyn’s culture.
13:00 – Questions for Nash to answer as a head coach.
15:10 – What retaining Jacque Vaughn means for Brooklyn.
16:00 – The backlash for picking a coach with no experience.
19:44 – Could Vaughn be a head coaching candidate next offseason in the NBA or college game?
20:20 – Nets assistant coaching changes to keep an eye on.
Scotto: “When I look at it, Tiago Splitter, Bret Brielmaier, Adam Harrington, I think those guys stay. Adam’s got a great relationship with Kevin Durant. Tiago and Bret have Spurs ties. You mentioned earlier that Jacque Vaughn was brought in by Sean Marks to be a guide for Kenny (Atkinson) when he first started. The guy I remember Kenny bringing on was Jordan Ott from Atlanta. He’s done great work with DeMarre Carroll in the past. He’s continued to do great work with Joe Harris as well. If Kenny gets a job as a head coach somewhere, I could see him maybe trying to bring Jordan Ott with him.”
Puccio: “I think a name to look out for is Raja Bell, somebody he played with the Suns in Phoenix. Someone else to look at is Alvin Gentry, who was part of the coaching staff in Phoenix and was just laid off from his Pelicans job.”
23:44 – Is Caris LeVert the third star for the Nets?
27:54 – Is LeVert a candidate to come off the bench and compete with Spencer Dinwiddie to be next season’s Sixth Man of the Year?
32:36 – Who could be in trade talks for the Nets this offseason? Dinwiddie? Jarrett Allen?
Scotto: “You’ve got Dinwiddie who’s got a guaranteed deal next year, and then he’s got a $12.3 million player option the year after that. He’s opting out of that, barring any injury. He’s going to opt out of that to try and get more money, survey the market and be a potential starting point guard. I’d be shocked if he didn’t.”
36:39 – What executives and scouts think of Nicolas Claxton as a trade target.
Scotto: “Anytime I’ve had conversations with opposing scouts or executives, Nic Claxton is a guy that they all come out to watch and talk to people about to try and get more background on. If he was in the draft this year, no doubt in my mind he was going to be a lottery pick and probably in the top 10.”
38:07 – What Joe Harris could command in free agency.
Scotto: “I think they definitely re-sign Joe Harris, and I think he doubles his salary to somewhere around $15 million, give a couple million more or less.”
39:06 – What are the futures of Jamal Crawford, Tyler Johnson and Wilson Chandler?
Puccio: “I think you definitely see Jamal Crawford come back next year. I’m very confident that he’ll be back, and also Tyler Johnson as well after what he did in the Orlando bubble. We know Sean Marks likes him a lot after the contract that he threw at him when he was in Miami.”
“I think, with Chandler, it’s kind of a coin flip. I personally don’t think that he’s coming back, but we’ll have to see on that front.”
44:03 – Looking at the landscape of the East next season.
MORE: Is Steve Nash the right hire for the Nets? Executives, coaches and scouts weigh in.
