The Nets haven’t had much stability since … well, for a while, and now interim head coach Kevin Ollie has 28 games in 55 days to finish the season and prove he’s able to provide some.
And he’s not alone.
After running his first practice in Brooklyn after taking over for the fired Jacque Vaughn, Ollie said his goal was to become the permanent head coach despite experienced coaches such as Mike Budenholzer, Mike D’Antoni and Terry Stotts, among others, all available.
“We’re all auditioning these 28 games, players included,’’ Ollie said. “And we’ve got to be in the same boat, rowing in the same direction to get this done.”
He said the playoffs were still the destination the team had in mind, even with the team struggling and 2 ½ games out of the play-in round.
Ollie and the rest of the remaining coaches and players have their work cut out for them, not only to make something of this season, but to steady the franchise.
On Tuesday, Mikal Bridges said he was “100 percent” confident the Nets could turn it around.
“Things aren’t going good right now, and that’s life,’’ Bridges said. “You just kind of see what type of person you are, what type of man you are. And I wasn’t raised [so that] when things get tough to want to leave and get out.”
Instead, Bridges insisted he wanted to stay in Brooklyn.
“I’m here now and want to stay here,’’ Bridges said. “And I’m going to keep grinding and getting to wherever we’ve got to get to win, and that’s why I’m here for.”
He also seemed encouraged by having Ollie running the show on the court.
Even when the Nets were over .500 in December, Bridges said there were problems.
“We were winning, but we weren’t detailed on both ends enough,’’ Bridges said. “We weren’t playing as hard as we should have been. When we start losing a little bit, our [bad] habits started to show. On defense, we’re not talking to each other, we’re not helping, we’re not in rotation. A lot of it is on the players, as well, but I think we weren’t in sync and we kind of didn’t know what we were out there doing. It was a little bit of a free-for-all.”
Ollie preached hustle and effort in his first day on the job.
“[Energy] has nothing to do with talent and everything to do with heart and will,’’ Ollie said. “That’s what I’m gonna demand. I want hunters. If you’re hunters, you’re gonna play.”
But he also defended Vaughn.
“[Vaughn] was taking all the punches for us,’’ Ollie said. “We’ve got to understand that it’s a whole coaching staff, it’s a whole, you know, players in the locker room understanding, being accountable for their energy. We want to make a push, make a push for a playoff run, and that’s what I want our guys to concentrate on.”
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