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The Brooklyn Nets announced their next NBA head coach on Wednesday and it was not who most fans were expecting.
In other news, Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic had his historic 30-point game streak snapped against a very unlikely opponent.
On that note, here is the latest news from around the NBA as of November 10, 2022.
Brooklyn Nets name Jacque Vaughn as new head coach
In a move that surprised many, the Brooklyn Nets announced on Wednesday that Jacque Vaughn will become their new permanent head coach. This comes after heavy speculation that the team was planning to hire suspended Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka.
Nets general manager Sean Marks explained the team’s decision in an official team statement. Marks highlighted Vaughn’s familiarity with the team and strong leadership as primary reasons for his decision:
“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.
“He has a proven ability to get the best out of our players, hold them accountable and play a cohesive and team-first style of basketball."
Vaughn took over as the Nets’ interim head coach on November 1. The Nets won their Wednesday night game against the New York Knicks 112-85 to improve to 3-2 under Vaughn. This comes after the team started the season 2-5 under Steve Nash.
Vaughn previously went 7-3 as the Nets' interim head coach in 2020 after the firing Kenny Atkinson.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Vaughn’s contract will run through the 2023-24 NBA season.
For more on the Brooklyn Nets' hiring of head coach Jacque Vaughn, click here.
Nets passed on hiring suspended Celtics head coach Ime Udoka due to negative feedback
As for Ime Udoka, the Brooklyn Nets reportedly decided not to hire him after Nets owner Joe Tsai was privately urged not to. The decision comes despite Udoka reportedly being the top choice of superstar forward Kevin Durant and GM Sean Marks. The Nets also conducted an investigation on Udoka before considering him for the job.
Shams Charania’s report for The Athletic shed some more details on the situation. Charania added that the public outcry regarding the Nets' plan to hire Udoka also led them to pass on him. In addition, the Nets had doubts regarding their ability to contend even after hiring Udoka.
Udoka will now continue to serve his season-long suspension for having an inappropriate relationship with a female staff member.
It remains to be seen if Brooklyn made the right long-term decision, but they appear to be on a better trajectory than they were a couple of weeks ago.
You may also like to read this: "Ime Udoka will coach again in the NBA” – Adrian Wojnarowski predicts Ime Udoka is probable for coaching in next season
Luka Doncic's 30-point game streak snapped at nine
Luka Doncic got off to a historic start this season, scoring 30+ points in his first nine games. The streak was the second longest ever to start a season, trailing only NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain's 23-game streak in the 1962-63 NBA season. Many fans were excited to see how long Doncic’s streak would continue. Surprisingly, it ended on Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic.
The Magic entered the game with a 2-9 record and the 22nd-ranked defense in the league. They also allowed Doncic to score 44 points in their first meeting this season. The Magic were without star rookie forward Paolo Banchero, who missed the game due to an ankle sprain. So it seemed like a fairly easy matchup for Doncic and the Mavs.
Instead, Orlando held Doncic to a season-low 24 points on just 31.0% shooting as they beat Dallas 94-87. However, Orlando still sit in a three-way tie with the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets for the worst record in the Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, Dallas are currently 6-4 and sixth in the Western Conference. Doncic and the Mavs will now look to get back on track on Thursday in Washington on the second night of a back-to-back.
NBA would consider Mexico City for an expansion team
The NBA has long been rumored to be considering expanding to more than 30 teams in the future. According to NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, Mexico City is on the shortlist of possible destinations if they eventually decide to do so.
"Expansion is currently not on the docket, but at some point, if we were to turn to expansion, there's no doubt that Mexico City would have to be one of the cities that would be in consideration, along with a host of other very big and relevant cities in North America," Tatum told Andscape's Marc J. Spears.
Tatum then touched on some of the challenges regarding international expansion. However, Mexico City’s NBA G League team, the Capitanes, has provided an example of how the NBA might be able to manage international expansion.
"One of the biggest challenges around international expansion has always been the travel issues, the facility issues. But there is a world-class facility in Mexico City in Arena CDMX, which is where we've been playing our games and our global games in Mexico. And that's actually the home of the G League team, the Capitanes. So that's not an issue," Tatum said.
Mexico has hosted a total of 30 preseason and regular season games in the past. The NBA will next return to Mexico City on December 17 for a game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat. That game will provide yet another preview of what it might be like to have an NBA franchise in Mexico.
Executives believe Knicks are saving draft picks for trade involving a superstar
The New York Knicks appear to be stuck in the middle of the NBA this season. , Despite trying to create a win-now team, they are currently 5-6 and seventh in the Eastern Conference.
However, with eight future first-round draft picks, the Knicks have some valuable trade assets. According to a recent report from Sham Charania, many NBA executives believe the Knicks are saving these picks for a blockbuster trade involving a superstar.
The Athletic's Charania said that the Knicks ultimately did not trade for All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell this offseason as he wasn’t a big enough star:
"For whatever reason, they did not believe that Donovan Mitchell was a guy they wanted to go fully, fully all-in on. You choose that you'd rather keep all the picks and all the flexibility.
"And you have to give (team president) Leon Rose credit for this. They've built up those assets necessary to when whoever that megastar is (available), they'll be right there for him."
It’s a fairly risky decision for the Knicks to hold onto their assets. However, if the right star becomes available, they will be in a position to make a massive offer to bring a true superstar to New York.
