The firing of coach Jacque Vaughn may have shocked some, but the Nets players believed that it was long overdue. Perceptive spectators at Brooklyn’s games would have noticed the team’s gloomy appearance, which is a result of their discontent with JV.
According to reports, the two players who voiced their concerns about Vaughn’s method the most were former guard Spencer Dinwiddie and Nets star Mikal Bridges. Coach Vaughn was fired, and now the players have their say. Kevin Ollie, a favorite in the locker room, is the acting head coach.
The Brooklyn Nets dismissed coach Jacque Vaughn on Monday morning, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/WjGyf1jONY
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 19, 2024
According to Shams Charania,
“They felt like a lot of what Vaughn was running was being run improperly, without structure,” “Vaughn came into the year and said, ‘We’re gonna run a free-for-all offense.’ And the team, from what I gather, has been pretty bonded on the fact that developing a hierarchy was important.”
The obvious problems concerning Coach Vaughn
Despite his optimistic demeanor in the locker room, Coach Vaughn’s method had some obvious flaws. The most significant one has to be the way he handled Cameron Thomas, who under JV had a fruitful but difficult period.
Jalen Bruson and Josh Hart clowning Mikal Bridges saying he doesn’t play defense anymore
VIA @Roommates__Show pic.twitter.com/ni2zNZ1XVS
— Cody Mallory (@RealCodyMallory) February 16, 2024
With an average of 21.2 points per game this season, Thomas has been a monster for the Nets. If Coach Vaughn had started him, he would have had an even better season. With Thomas serving as a backup to Dorian Finney-Smith at the beginning of the season, JV never committed to keeping him as a full-time starter.
Given that Vaughn had trouble making the most of the talented Nets squad, criticism must be directed against his rotation decisions and lack of in-game changes. The players had good reason to be concerned, particularly given that Ben Simmons served as the foundation of his system.
Although everyone in the Nets locker room adores Ben, the fact that Vaughn put all of his eggs in the Ben basket and the team had no backup plan for a guy as prone to injury destroyed Brooklyn’s season.
Mikal and his players succeed in their goal of having Ollie take over as head coach and replacing Vaughn.