When the Toronto Raptors said they were casting a wide net for their head coaching search, they were not kidding around at all. In addition to proven coaches like Monty Williams, names like JJ Redick and Steve Nash have managed to pop up in their coaching search.
Nash, a native Canadian and two-time MVP fresh off a disappointing tenure as head coach of the loaded Brooklyn Nets, is being considered by Toronto for their head coaching vacancy. Considering Nash has no coaching experience other than his ill-fated Nets stint, this is bizarre.
While Nick Nurse had his faults, firing a coach that has won a championship and only had one losing season in five years to hire someone who was unable to build a consistent winner with arguably the best offensive team in NBA history (yes, injuries happened, I know) would be a stunning move.
Masai Ujiri’s head coaching search is straddling the line between “expansive and diverse that looks for talent all over the place” and “directionless to the point of grasping at straws. Nash would be perhaps the most challenging hire to justify, as Redick is at least an unproven coaching commodity.
Essentially what Ujiri would be saying with a Nash hire is, “my roster is great, but Nurse killed the vibes. Nash will restore them.” Raptors fans of all backgrounds and degrees of interest can see that this roster is flawed, and hiring Nash is not going to change a single thing.
The Raptors met with Steve Nash to discuss their HC vacancy, per @ShamsCharania and @joevardon
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 22, 2023
Nash was a player and GM of the Canadian national basketball team 👀 pic.twitter.com/QdbHlxtM3m
The Toronto Raptors should not hire Steve Nash.
Nash’s winning percentage might look good, and you don’t win all of those games in the NBA by accident, but he was clearly in over his skis in charge of the Nets. The Raptors have 20 times less combativeness and drama on their roster right now, but that doesn’t mean Nash will turn into Phil Jackson overnight.
If the Raptors wanted to bring Nash on as an assistant coach, I don’t know anyone who could be opposed to that. He is clearly a smart guy who can help instruct in certain areas. To put him in charge of everything, including a flawed roster nowhere near as good as his Nets one that Ujiri is betting on once more, could come back to bite everyone.
The Toronto Raptors met with Steve Nash to discuss their head coaching job, sources tell me and @joevardon. Nash, a Canadian basketball legend, had a .584 record (94-67) in two-plus seasons coaching the Nets. Toronto has had a wide-ranging coaching search.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 22, 2023
Ujiri seems to think that his Pascal Siakam-led roster is close to breaking out, if the bloviation about patience and player development is to be believed. If he gambles on Nash and this core once again, a disastrous 2023-24 season could have ripple effects that ruin this franchise in the next few seasons.