Los Angeles (AFP)

Former Houston coach Mike D'Antoni, 69, will be the assistant to Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash next season, for a reunion as he led the former point guard a few years ago at Phoenix, the NBA club announced Friday.

Already equipped with two stars on the floor, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, whose debuts together are eagerly awaited, the Nets are in the process of building up a prestigious staff on the bench, which looks like the Suns 2004-2008 period since in addition From Antoni, Nash also enlisted the services of the then pivot Amar'e Stoudemire.

He will also be assisted by Ime Udoka, who was Gregg Popovich's assistant for seven seasons (2012-2019) at the San Antonio Spurs with a title in 2014, before being that of Brett Brown last season. in Philadelphia.

These three technicians will rub shoulders with Jacques Vaughn, who became deputy again after acting in the second half of last season following the dismissal of Kenny Atkinson in March.

Steve Nash was the Phoenix point guard for four seasons (2004-08) under Mike D'Antoni, collecting two MVP titles in a row (2005, 2006), failing to win a ring.

At the time, the Suns practiced the "run and gun" (run and shoot quickly, preferably in less than seven seconds) an uninhibited offensive game that D'Antoni has put back in place in Houston in recent years around James Harden, without reaching the finals.

The Nash / D'Antoni duo were later reconstituted with the Lakers between 2012 and 2014, but the failure was bitter around Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard.

It remains to be seen how the game of the Nets will be articulated under their guidance, whose offensive potential is immense since in addition to Durant and Irving, the team also includes Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert or even the French Timoté Luwawu-Cabarrot who are revealed in the absence of the two stars injured last season.

Enough to make Brooklyn one of the title contenders in 2021.

© 2020 AFP