The Nets leaders took advantage of the All-Star Weekend break to breathe, “ looking back » and… fire Jacque Vaughn. “ What awaits us? There are 28 games and 55 days left before the playoffs. It's time for this group to move a little “, justifies Sean Marks when asked about the timing of this decision.
A decision which was necessary according to the General Manager of the Nets since he came to the conclusion that this team was not “ where she should be “. Changing coaches at this stage of the season means sending “ a message, not just to the playing group, but to the fans and the franchise as a whole “.
And the message seems clear: we must raise the bar to aim for qualification for the final stages. With 21 victories for 33 defeats, the Brooklyn players occupy 11th place in the East with only a game and a half behind the Hawks, last qualified virtually for the “play-in”.
The Nets are not dead therefore, provided they show a different face than in recent weeks. Since the end of December, they have posted the third worst record in the league, tied with the Pistons, with 6 small victories for 18 defeats… In mid-December, they were still in the positive and even flirting with 7th place.
The consequences of the match against the Bucks?
Then the decline started with five consecutive losses, erased by two victories against Detroit, before this famous match against the Bucks where it was decided to rest the executives. Beyond the financial consequence, with a fine of $100,000, this choice was not to the taste of the players, notably Mikal Bridges.
“ I don't think we lost the team that day. Comments were made. I like the fact that players want to play. They want to play every night. There was not a single decision that influenced the outcome or the decision made today. Many factors were taken into account », Judge Sean Marks.
Among these factors, the level of energy and desire displayed by his troops, insufficient in his eyes. “ We won't be the most talented team in the league. I'm not stupid, I understand that perfectly. But at the same time, this is a talented group of young men. My expectations, and I think theirs, should be to hold each other accountable to do the little things. The efforts, the dragging balls, the contested shots, diving on the floor… », he lists.
So much effort that the New York leader now wants to see by the end of the season. Because it is “ probably, to be quite frank, what I haven't seen yet. The level of effort and competition was not always there. »
Kevin Ollie wants 'hunters'
It’s up to Kevin Ollie to wake up the Nets in this sense. Anyone like Steve Nash or Kenny Atkinson will have his first experience as an NBA “head coach” in Brooklyn already has the tools in hand: “ I found something called 'CGE', which is energy-generating behaviors. There are 17 of this type. We reviewed the list today (during his first training). »
According to him, these attitudes have not “ nothing to do with talent, but with heart and will. And I think that's what it comes down to. » The promoted assistant seems to have well integrated the speech displayed by his GM. To implement it, the NCAA champion in 2014 with Connecticut as coach wants to rely on his experience as a former NBAer.
“ Remember, I played 15 years professionally, 13 years in this league, and never once did a coach call a system for me. I had to show nerve, determination. I had to demonstrate a mindset that allowed me to improve day after day. That’s how I coach, that’s what I’m going to demand. I want them to demand this from me, from day one “, displays this former great traveler (11 different teams!).
It’s simple, the coach, “temporary”, wants “ hunters. If you hunt, you will play. If you don't hunt, you won't play. » So much for short-term positioning.
Sean Marks assures that owner Joe Tsai will give him the green light to recruit a new coach at the end of the season: “ We will take many factors into account when making our decision. We have time. […] I have no doubt that we will find the most suitable person for this position. »
But will he still be in office when this decision has to be made? Sean Marks assures that Joe Tsai has given him no reason to think that would not be the case, despite the rumors.
| Shots | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Party | Pts |
| Mikal Bridges | 54 | 35.2 | 45.2 | 37.1 | 82.9 | 0.8 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 21.7 |
| Cam Thomas | 45 | 29.7 | 43.9 | 36.4 | 83.9 | 0.4 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 21.2 |
| Cameron Johnson | 41 | 28.2 | 45.5 | 40.0 | 73.4 | 1.1 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 1.9 | 13.7 |
| Spencer Dinwiddie | 48 | 30.7 | 39.1 | 32.0 | 78.1 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 6.0 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 1.8 | 12.6 |
| Nicholas Claxton | 44 | 29.4 | 62.5 | 25.0 | 57.0 | 2.9 | 7.3 | 10.2 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 12.2 |
| Lonnie Walker | 34 | 18.1 | 47.4 | 43.3 | 76.1 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 11.5 |
| Dennis Schroder | 3 | 25.5 | 35.5 | 38.5 | 33.3 | 0.0 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 5.3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 9.3 |
| Dorian Finney Smith | 45 | 28.1 | 40.9 | 37.6 | 65.4 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 4.6 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 8.7 |
| Keon Johnson | 3 | 15.7 | 37.5 | 50.0 | 100.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 8.0 |
| Day’ron Sharpe | 39 | 15.7 | 58.1 | 25.0 | 63.0 | 2.7 | 4.1 | 6.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 7.4 |
| Royce O'Neale | 49 | 24.5 | 38.8 | 36.6 | 68.2 | 0.8 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 2.4 | 7.4 |
| Dennis Smith | 38 | 20.0 | 44.0 | 27.4 | 78.0 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 7.2 |
| Ben Simmons | 12 | 25.7 | 59.4 | 0.0 | 42.9 | 2.3 | 6.2 | 8.4 | 6.5 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 6.8 |
| Trendon Watford | 38 | 12.1 | 54.2 | 38.2 | 87.2 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 6.0 |
| Jalen Wilson | 16 | 14.6 | 50.0 | 52.4 | 89.5 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 5.5 |
| Keita Bates Diop | 2 | 7.8 | 80.0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.5 |
| Armoni Brooks | 10 | 10.4 | 32.6 | 34.4 | 50.0 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 4.2 |
| Noah Clowney | 7 | 9.9 | 61.1 | 25.0 | 100.0 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 4.1 |
| Harry Giles | 16 | 5.1 | 50.0 | 27.3 | 53.8 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 3.4 |
| Dariq Whitehead | 2 | 12.0 | 20.0 | 0.0 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.5 |
