Yes, Durant's stellar play has been overshadowed by Nets' drama. Is controversial coaching hire off the table? Blow up the team?

Nets' nonstop drama overshadowing Kevin Durant's stellar start to 2022-23 NBA season, CBS Sports Michael Kaskey-Blomain wrote last night, citing Durant's league-leading points total and stellar defensive play.

The drama involves Ben Simmons' poor play, Kyrie Irving's suspension, the firing of coach Steve Nash, and the rumored hiring of former Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka, a former Nets assistant, who was suspended for team violations involving what's said to be a workplace affair (and maybe more).

This morning, for once in some days, the Nets are off the back pages of the tabloids, with no new drama (and bigger news like football and the marathon).

Meanwhile, it looks like NBA brass want to keep it that way. (KD, of course, on his Twitter account, states, "IM ME, I DO ME, AND I CHILL.")

Hold the coach hire?

League sources say there have been some "strong voices" urging Joe Tsai to back off the Nets' intent to hire suspended Celtics coach Ime Udoka as Steve Nash's successor given the considerable turmoil Brooklyn has already faced this season.

More to come: https://t.co/LGN9cVpMwn

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 7, 2022

NetsDaily added: 

Assuming said “voices” are those of NBA officialdom, the sentiment is unsurprising. Irving’s tweet promoting an antisemitic video has exhausted virtually everyone involved, from Nets fans up to the commissioner’s office in Manhattan’s Olympic Tower.

Without Irving or Simmons, the Nets, under interim Coach Jacque Vaughn, have won two straight games against lesser opponents, after losing several games to stronger teams.

Team owner Joe Tsai has been inconsistent before, bringing the unvaccinated Irving back last December for road games, after first banning him. He told the New York Post that it was not about morality or values:

“We’re trying to be practical. And I’ve always said I don’t want to make this a political issue,” Tsai told The Post by phone Friday night. “My only religion is to win games and win the championship."

Well, Udoka might help the team win a (very longshot) championship, by getting more out of the players. And that would bring more ticket revenues. But the continuing drama might affect TV and/or sponsorship revenues.

So "to win games" at any cost might not be the best business decision.

Put another way: WTF were the Nets thinking by allowing the possible hire of a controversial coach to leak out? And why haven't they yet disavowed that news?

Blow up the team?

On 11/4/22, before the Nets' two wins, Sports Illustrated's Howard Beck wrote The Nets Should Burn It All Down, suggeting that, however much Udoka--putting aside his baggage--might help the Nets, it 
won't help:

There is nothing to salvage. An inspiring revival? Not happening. A championship? Pure fantasy. This entire experiment, this entire era, was a failure—past tense—and any attempt to extend it is an act of profound self-delusion.

The Nets needn’t waste time fortifying themselves for next spring. They should do the opposite: Start the teardown, immediately. 

Trade Irving for whatever you can get (or waive him, if all else fails). Cash out Durant for as many players and draft picks as you can extract. Gauge the market for Ben Simmons, as a matter of due diligence.

His point is that Irving, set to be a free agent, won't be re-signed, so move him when he might have value, say, to the Los Angeles Lakers. Durant will surely renew his trade demand. So act now, and gain the pieces to rebuild.

As to Simmons, executives interviewed by Beck suggested that he's worth working with to restore his game to previous levels.

Beck's conclusion:

No one can blame the Nets for going all-in three years ago, pinning their fate to two transcendent talents, dreaming of glory and banner raisings and parades down Flatbush. It was an alluring vision, a worthy bet. But it’s become a nightmare, and the only known remedy for that is to wake up.