Steve Nash placed in COVID-19 protocols, won’t coach Monday vs. Raptors

Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash has been placed into health and safety protocols and will not coach Monday vs. the Toronto Raptors. Nash lands in COVID-19 protocols and it feels like we haven’t had a player or coach end up there in a while. Nash may also miss more games this week. The Nets face the Raptors again on Tuesday and have games against the Heat and Celtics later in the week.

This news doesn’t really move the needle that much. The Nets have a pretty deep bench of coaches, including assistants Jacque Vaughn and David Vanterpool, both of whom have been considered for head coaching jobs around the NBA. Chances are one of them will serve as head coach on the bench this week and until Nash clears protocols.

The bigger news this week is the potential return of All-Star Kevin Durant. KD is expected to miss Monday and Tuesday’s games against Toronto. There’s a chance Durant could return to the lineup on Thursday or Sunday. Brooklyn desperately needs its best player back in the lineup. The Nets have lost 13 of their past 16 games.