Head coach Jacque Vaughn has received a contract extension from the Brooklyn Nets, a deserved deal for the 48-year-old who took over a drama-filled roster in November.
Following a 2-5 start, the Nets dismissed of Steve Nash in a mutual decision and brought on Vaughn as the interim leader. The former Orlando Magic head coach was named Brooklyn’s full-time coach eight days later.
Vaughn has guided the Nets to a 32-19 record since he took over and has them in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings at 34-24, while they’ve gone 16-11 on the road (third-best in the NBA) since Vaughn came on. He was named the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for December after the team went 12-1.
Per a press release from the Nets, the group is one of just three NBA teams to have a top-10 offense (seventh in offensive rating) and top-10 defense (ninth in defensive rating), along with the Boston Celtics (42-17) and Milwaukee Bucks (41-17), who have the two best records in the league.
The ability of Vaughn to keep Brooklyn in contention is made more impressive due to the never-ending drama he’s dealt with on the roster this season.
The beginning of Vaughn’s current tenure coincided with Kyrie Irving’s suspension stemming from his antisemitism controversy. Irving eventually requested a trade in early February and was moved to the Dallas Mavericks soon after.
Fellow superstar Kevin Durant went down with a knee injury in early January and still hasn’t returned to the court. “KD” was traded to the Phoenix Suns a few days after Irving was sent to Dallas, leaving Vaughn without his two best players.
While the Nets may not be NBA title contenders this season anymore, with Vaughn at the helm, they may still have a shot at making some noise in the playoffs.
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