Shaquille O’Neal says Brooklyn Nets should go for Mark Jackson or Brian Shaw as next head coach. “ Let’s get some old school veterans [who know] how to deal with big egos”
Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal has said that the Brooklyn Nets should either hire Mark Jackson or Brian Shaw as their next head coach in order to deal with the dysfunctional and ego-filled squad right now.
The former LA Lakers superstar believes that the Nets need a veteran voice as a head coach in order to command the locker room. The squad is filled with superstar talent like Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving.
To command a locker room like that, O'Neal believes that someone like Mark Jackson or Brian Shaw should be at the helm.
When asked about the Nets situation, the LA Lakers legend said the following:
"It'll be good for him (Ime). I was gonna say, Mark Jackson or Brian Shaw. Let's get some old school Veterans who got some experience especially championship experience, knows how to deal with big egos. Hey, if that's the case, congratulations to Ime."
Mark Jackson, who had a successful career in the NBA as a point guard, was responsible for establishing the Golden State Warriors' foundation as a championship-caliber team.
Jackson served as the head coach for the Golden State Warriors from 2011-2014 and it was during his stint that young players like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green bloosomed into the superstars they are today.
Brian Shaw is currently an assistant coach for the LA Clippers. Shaw had a two-year stint with the Denver Nuggets as head coach from 2013 to 2015. However, his spell at the Nuggets did not end well as the franchise had a 56-85 record under him.
Shaw's name has been mentioned by O'Neal as the duo were part of multiple NBA finals teams. Shaw was part of the Orlando Magic team in 1995 that got swept in the NBA finals. Shaw was also part of the three-peat LA Lakers, which was spearheaded by O'Neal.
Brooklyn Nets fire Steve Nash after a disastrous start to the season
General Manager Sean Marks fired head coach Steve Nash after a disastrous start to the season. The Nets have been a dysfunctional team this season, with Nash apparently losing his voice in the locker room.
The team has been comically unreliable over the past couple of years and Nash's sacking is just one aspect of the story.
Steve Nash didn't have a great record with the Brooklyn Nets as he won only 91 regular-season games. The Nets offense was often criticized for being too iso-heavy and lacking any set plays. With a lot of offensive talent in the Nets, it was always head-scratching to see the offense rely on isolation buckets from Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
Additionally, the Nets also had one of the worst defensive ratings in the entire league. Even though Nash can't be blamed for all of their defensive problems, it is to be noted that he couldn't get his team to commit on that side of the ball.
All their problems came to the forefront when the Nets got hammered and swept by the Boston Celtics last summer.