New Nets coach Steve Nash struck out on one attempt to hire a former star teammate as an assistant.
But after Dirk Nowitzki declined, Amar’e Stoudemire said yes.
Shams Charania of The Athletic:
Six-time All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire has agreed to a deal to join new Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash’s staff as an assistant coach, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Nash and Stoudemire starred together in Phoenix.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 23, 2020
It’s easy to get excited about this. Nash and Stoudemire carry name recognition. They ran an excellent pick-and-roll with the Suns, and Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant could learn a few tricks.
But good players don’t always make good coaches. Does Stoudemire have the desire for the grind of assistant coaching?
It’s also unclear how large of a role Stoudemire will hold. Brooklyn retained former Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn as Nash’s lead assistant. Former Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni – who coached Nash and Stoudemire in Phoenix – could also join the staff.
And Irving and Durant are very differently styled players. Their pick-and-rolls won’t closely resemble Nash-Stoudemire pick-and-rolls.
Still, the Nets loading up on former stars with no coaching experience is at least intriguing.
