The Brooklyn Nets’ decision to hire Hall of Fame guard Steve Nash to be their new head coach was made with both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on their mind.
Specifically, Durant worked with Nash when both were members of the Golden State Warriors. While Nash has no experience as a head coach or even an assistant, he was a part-time consultant for the organization during Durant’s tenure in Oakland.
Weeks after being hired, Nash is now out here hinting at how he plans to use Durant.
Steve Nash plans on using Kevin Durant at all five spots
“Kevin, with his length, is a matchup problem for everyone,” Nash said on ‘The Old Man and the Three’ podcast with JJ Redick (h/t SNY). “Kevin can play all five positions, and I plan to use him in all five positions.”
Durant did play multiple positions with both Oklahoma City and Golden State. With that said, he didn’t need to man the point too often given those who the two-time NBA Finals MVP worked with. In OKC, that included Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Obviously, Stephen Curry’s status as an all-time great point guard played a role in Durant’s role with the Warriors.
There is a few other things to look at when detailing Nash’s comments.
Kevin Durant injury
The star forward suffered a torn Achilles as a member of the Warriors during last season’s NBA Finals. He missed the entire 2019-20 campaign despite the fact that it was suspended for a good six months.
Brooklyn’s brass had been clear about Durant’s status since the team signed him during the summer of 2019. He was always unlikely to suit up. The season being extended into September did not change this.
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With that said, we’re intrigued that Nash would go on record indicating that Durant will play all five positions. This means his usage won’t be limited during the 2020-21 season. That’s great news for the Nets and their fans.
We’re also intrigued to look at the fit. Irving is a ball-dominant guard. We saw the issues he had on the same team with LeBron James in Cleveland. Could these issues come up again should Durant take on more of a ball-dominant role? Time will tell on that front.