Brooklyn Nets Players, Donnie Walsh React To Coach Jason Kidd’s Firing Rumor

The Brooklyn Nets were tagged as one of the big NBA title contenders in the 2013-14 NBA season after a major shakeup during the offseason, but they are having a dismal start this season.

The Nets currently holds a 3-8 record that is the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference. Their slow start led to speculation suggesting that first-year coach Jason Kidd will be fired soon if the Nets do not turn things around quickly.

In their 108-98 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday at the Barclays Arena in Brooklyn, Kidd took the blame for their loss, saying that bad coaching led to their defeat, which was followed by a disappointing 95-91 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday.

But while Kidd took the blame for Monday's defeat, veteran players Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce came to the defense of their rookie coach, saying that fans should not put the blame on Kidd alone.

"The blame's on all of us. It's not just on Jason. You can't put the blame all on him. We're players who obviously have to be professional, come out here and do our jobs," Garnett said in an interview with the NY Post.

Pierce echoed the statement of his longtime teammate, saying that everybody should be held accountable for their early-season struggles, while also adding that everybody on the team is angry with their lackluster performance.

"As competitors, we're angry. Nobody likes to lose," Pierce said. "Everybody in this group that we're here with are very angry. Nobody's happy about losing. We've got to hold everybody accountable: The players, the coaches, this one big group and we're all in it together, so it's not only on Kidd. It's on all of us.''

On the other hand, former NY Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh reacted to the report of Bleacher Report writer Howard Beck in which the writer quoted an alleged veteran scout, who said that Kidd doesn't do anything as a coach.

"Are those the anonymous scouts? Tell them to put their name to it," Walsh said. "I think he's going to be a good coach. You got my name. Too many gutless guys in this league."