Defiant Kyrie Irving blew off Steve Nash’s Nets play calls

As a veteran with years in both the Eastern and Western Conferences, the advance scout had seen just about everything on the basketball court. But he’d never seen this. 

In the Nets’ Oct. 29 loss to the Pacers — one of the last games before Kyrie Irving was suspended — the All-Star guard didn’t just wave off the play called by then-coach Steve Nash. On 10 separate occasions, Nash called a specific play and the scout watched Irving do something entirely different. 

That wasn’t simple creativity, something to be expected from the uniquely electrifying All-Star. No, it was double-digit defiance. 

“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” the scout told The Post. “Nash would call something, and he’d run the opposite. I’ve never seen anything like that.” 

After one more game — ironically a victory over those same Pacers — the Nets parted ways with Nash. 

“We both felt that this was time. It was certainly trending in that way,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said at the time. “And to be quite frank, the team was not doing what it was supposed to be doing.” 

Literally and figuratively. It was a double entendre from Marks, as the Nets not only were not winning, but also were not following game plans. 

Those problems are not unrelated. 

A source close to the situation told The Post that Nash was “technically the coach,” but that no matter what game plan he gave the Nets, “they did whatever they wanted.” 

Irving was not the only culprit. There were rampant busted coverages, including Ben Simmons letting a screener slip to the basket thinking Royce O’Neale would take him, though he didn’t. There was Kevin Durant fussing at Joe Harris after a made basket because he felt a pass should’ve come his way. Example after example of disarray. 

“They were the most dysfunctional team I’ve seen [in years],” another scout told The Post. 

But the new Nets have acquitted themselves much better. 

Nash was fired four games ago, and Irving was suspended three games ago. And now, this disjointed bunch is starting to look like a team. 

“It’s hard to win and it’s hard to get everybody on the same page. So that’s what we were — we were on the same page,” Durant said. 

“Total trust,” said interim coach Jacque Vaughn, who has replaced Nash. “The group [has] trusted each other.” 

It remains to be seen if that’s the proverbial “new coach bump” or if it’s sustainable under Vaughn. It’s even unclear at what point the Nets might replace Vaughn, with Ime Udoka or somebody else. 

What is obvious is they’re playing not just harder, but together. 

“A lot of the defensive stuff is just effort,” Joe Harris said. “Guys are flying around, we’re sticking to the game plan, covering for each other and just playing really disciplined on that end these last few games. 

“We have a great offensive group, but defensively is more important than anything else is where we’ve really started to pull it together, where guys are following the game plan where everybody is being disciplined, guarding their yard, taking some ownership and their individual matchups. It’s a collective effort.” 

Their defensive rating had been dead last in the NBA through the first eight games (118.3), before Irving’s suspension, but has been second-best in the three games since (98.6). Their net rating has vaulted from third-worst to No. 1 during their recent surge. 

“We’re doing a better job of communicating and we just cover for each other. Everybody has each other’s back. That’s what’s really helping,” Nic Claxton said. “The main thing is trust. Just trust in your teammate no matter who it is. We all have a job to do, and everybody’s out there working for a common goal: Just to win. Just being able to quiet all the outside noise and just lock in.”