The Brooklyn Nets‘ odds to win the NBA championship continue to fall during their disastrous start to the season.
When Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant decided to join the team in the Summer of 2019, the Nets were immediately considered a threat to win multiple championships. Through three years, the Nets have been an utter disaster on and off the court, resulting in the firing of head coach Steve Nash just seven games into 2022-23 season.
The Nets announced Wednesday they were hiring interim head coach Jacque Vaughn to be their head coach despite rumors linking them to suspended Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka. The Nets were 2-2 since Vaughn took over but their odds to win he championship have continued to fall.
Brooklyn began the season at +700 to win the championship but moved to +850 after the Nash firing. They now sit at +1200 to win the title (via DraftKings).
Check out the full odds below:
It is possible that the odds took a dip after the Nets discontinued their pursuit of Udoka following backlash over the idea. However, Nets GM Sean Marks insisted that Vaughn is the right guy to turn the narrative around in Brooklyn.
"Jacque's basketball acumen, competitiveness and intimate knowledge of our team and organization make him the clear-cut best person to lead our group moving forward," Marks said in a statement. "He has a proven ability to get the best out of our players, hold them accountable and play a cohesive, team-first style of basketball."
Vaughn was the interim coach for the Nets during the 2019-20 season and is in his seventh season with the team.
"JV is a great coach," Nets guard Joe Harris said before Wednesday's announcement. "Having played in the NBA for a while, been a coach in the league for a while, having experience as a head coach, having a lot of experience now as an assistant, he's seen a lot, had a lot of different experiences, he's kind of fine-tuned what his approach is.
"He really just simplifies the game, I said that when we were in the bubble, same thing, but he makes sure that everybody is fully aware of what's going on. He's the type of coach we go through a scout [report], there's going to be a lot of transparency and dialogue. It's not just him speaking hoping everybody understands. It's a collective thing where he makes sure that everybody fully is aware of what's going on and understanding what's happening."
Prior to his tenure with the Nets, Vaughn was the head coach for the Orlando Magic from 2012-15. His .288 winning percentage is the fourth-worst for a head coach in NBA history.
