Getty Ime Udoka, Celtics
In the eyes of many, this could be considered a to-die-for season for the Brooklyn Nets. Since bringing their All-Star duo of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to Brooklyn in 2019, the Nets have yet to make it through the second round of the playoffs. And after Kevin Durant’s bomb swap request last summer, as well as Kyrie Irving’s contract expiration, there is a widespread belief that if the Nets fail to deliver this season, big changes will be on the way.
One such change could be Nets head coach Steve Nash. After being blown away from the first round by the Boston Celtics, Nash will be in the spotlight this season. If the Nets decide to switch from the Hall of Famer, former Nets assistant and Celtics coach Ime Udoka could be his replacement. Jaren Weiss of “The Athletic” says Brooklyn is the “obvious destination” for Udoka.
“Brooklyn is the obvious destination here for him (Udoka) if they want to keep the team together and put Steve Nash behind,” Weiss said via HoopsHype.
“The really cool thing about this is what happens if Nash is fired during the season and Ime is the right person for the job? What happens then? Perhaps this is also why he has not yet been fired and is suspended. Maybe the Celtics would like to trade it. He would be really charming. “
HoopsHype’s Michael A. Scotto also points out that the suspended Celtics coach has been a Durant “fan” since his only season in Brooklyn.
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The Celtics suspend Udoka for the 2022-23 NBA season
Although Udoka is still technically the manager of the Celtics, he is currently not active with the team. For those who may be late to the party, the Celtics suspended Udoka for the entire 2022-23 season last month. The reason for his suspension was that he was having an “intimate relationship” with a female staff member, which violates the team’s code of conduct.
Although Udoka was suspended in September, The Athletic’s Shams Charania says members of the organization learned of the situation as early as July.
“Some members of the Celtics organization first became aware of the relationship in July, the sources said. At the time, both sides led the foremen to believe the relationship was consensual,” writes Charania.
“But sources said the woman recently accused Udoka of making unwanted comments about her, prompting the team to launch a series of internal interviews.”
Weiss: Udoka “unlikely” to return to the Celtics
Despite Udoka being suspended for the entire season, the end of his troubles may not be over. Having violated the Celtics’ code of conduct, his future with the team is in doubt. Many believe that his disqualification, rather than his dismissal, is just a technicality as the Celtics continue to gather information on the situation.
Weiss believes Udoka coached his last game as Celtic, as he says he is unlikely to return to the Boston bench once his ban is over.
“This is the consensus. Nobody in the organization told me they don’t think I’ll be back. I feel they are moving forward with this expectation and the reason for a suspension is more about any legal process going on right now rather than really wanting to reevaluate it in the future, “Weiss added.
“I’m sure there is some degree of uncertainty as to whether they would bring it back or not. I don’t think it’s like he’s been fired, and he’s set in stone, and that’s it. I’m sure there will be some evaluation to be done sooner or later, but it seems very unlikely that he will come back. “
After losing two consecutive preseason games, Nash may already be on the bench. It will be interesting to see how the team fares if Udoka is available.
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