Before the Celtics' series against the Nets began, many fans were actually not optimistic that the Green Army would be able to beat the Nets to advance, although they were second in the East, but fans believed that the Green Army could not actually get any advantage against the Nets with Irving and Durant, as well as Simmons' upcoming comeback.
After the series officially started, the process and result of the game were unimaginable to many fans. In the first game, although Irving slashed 18 points in the final quarter and hit a key three-pointer to help the Nets change their lives, in the end, it was Tatum's whistle-blowing kill that made them fall short. If the Green Army's win in the first game was a bit of a fluke, then their next city in the second game demoralized the Nets. In the second leg, although the Nets established a double-digit lead in the first half of the game, they suddenly collapsed in the second half and were eventually reversed and lost the game.
In such a situation, Nets coach Nash once again encountered great doubts from the outside world. After the second game, Nets fans reportedly began laying siege to Nash on social media. They said they didn't understand what Nash was doing, just like the fans, just to watch the ball. There are even fans who directly taunt, arguing that Nash's role is even worse than Durant's mother, Wonder, on the sidelines. Judging from the remarks of the fans, their current doubts about Durant mainly focus on the following points.
First of all, many fans think that Nash will only let Durant or Irving single, and the whole team has no tactics to speak of. And that's not the first time Nash has been questioned like this, and since he's coached the Nets, his problems have often focused on giants who rely too much on the team. In the regular season, Durant, who is still plagued by injuries, averaged 37.2 minutes per game, which also set a new high since the 2014-2015 season, and he even played the whole game in many games. After Durant just returned from a hamstring injury this season, he also played more than 40 minutes in many consecutive games, which not only made him very tired, but also had great injury risks.
In the current two games in the playoffs, Durant's average playing time is as high as 41.5 minutes per game, although he can still average 25 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists per game, but the shooting percentage is only 31.7%, and the three-point shooting rate is only 28.6%, which is inseparable from Nash's no other tactical changes. It was precisely because the Green Army knew that the Nets' offensive system was almost always revolving around Durant that they guarded him tightly, which led to extreme pressure on him to shoot in both games, while he also made as many as 6 mistakes in both games.
Irving's playing time is also as high as 41 minutes, after Irving scored 18 points in the last quarter with 39 points in the first game, he only had 10 points and 8 rebounds in the second game of 13 shots, which is also the consequence of Nash's lack of tactical changes. Nash's reliance on the two cores will not only lead to their increased likelihood of injury, but they will also become very tired physically, but at the same time they will not be able to perform as they should because of the strict defense of their opponents. Although Tatum's playing time is also very high, he is younger, has not been affected by too many injuries, and there are more changes in the Green Army's tactics.
Secondly, some fans have begun to question Nash's employment strategy on the defensive end. As we all know, although the Nets became the league's super offensive powerhouse last season, at the same time they performed very badly on the defensive end, especially in the interior defense, which became one of the reasons why they eventually got out prematurely. And this season, while the issue hasn't been solved too well, their interior defence has been somewhat mitigated after signing Drummond. However, as fans have said, at the end of the second game, when the Nets' interior defense was in a mess, Nash did not choose to let Drummond play.
Finally, Nash did nothing to pressure the referee. In the current playoff teams in the league, including Kerr, Monty, Spoo and other excellent head coaches will put pressure on the referee, although sometimes this will risk being blown for technical fouls, but at the same time, when the coach questions the referee, the referee will also pay attention to the whistle in many cases. Nash, on the other hand, was like a fan watching from the sidelines, and even if there was an unfair decision on the field, Nash did not have any communication with the referee. It is worth mentioning that fans also compared Nash to Durant's mother.
During the second game, when the Nets suffered an unfavorable penalty, the sideline camera captured an interesting scene. Durant's mother, Wanda, who was sitting in the audience watching the game, was extremely dissatisfied with the referee and began to complain loudly to the referee. In contrast, Nash, who was standing in front of Wanda and standing next to the referee, did not react at all and was still directing the game. If it is a head coach with rich playoff experience, he will definitely stand up and take the initiative to question the referee at such a moment to put pressure on the referee. As a result, fans have said that Nash is even inferior to Wanda as a spectator, which is undoubtedly a naked mockery.
In fact, this season's playoffs are not just the first time Nash has been questioned by fans. From the beginning of coaching the Nets, he has encountered great doubts in terms of strategy and tactical adjustment ability, and many times it is only the Nets' winning that masks Nash's ability. In the regular season, when the Nets suffered an 11-game losing streak, Nash's coaching failure was further amplified. At present, when the Nets are favored by many fans, they have lost two consecutive games, which has led to Nash being questioned by many fans.
If the Nets, who return home in the next game, can't win the game, they will be in a desperate situation of 3-0, after all, no team in NBA history can complete a reversal when they are 3-0 behind, and even if Simmons will return in game four, it will be difficult to reverse the defeat. And if eliminated in the first round of the season, the Nets' roster will face a big change, and Nash is likely to be sacked in the offseason this season. All in all, the next game is crucial to the fate of the Nets as a whole.