Hornets coach Steve Clifford said he believes Nets coach Steve Nash took unnecessary criticism for the underwhelming 2021-22 season in Brooklyn.

Clifford, who spent last year as a coaching consultant for the Nets, offered his take on their issues that led to a first-round sweep at the hands of the Celtics, and it wasn’t about the head coach.

“This is where coaches take heat for things that are not their fault. The number one problem last year in Brooklyn was games missed. That’s it,” Clifford said before his Hornets lost 134-131 in overtime to the Knicks on Wednesday night at the Garden. “I didn’t go to every game, but I watched every game.”

Injuries and absence were a problem for the Nets last season. Kevin Durant missed 27 games. Kyrie Irving refused to comply with New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and played in just 29 regular-season games as a result. James Harden was traded in February to the 76ers for Ben Simmons, who didn’t play a single game for the Nets until this season.

“I believe last year, look at the record when Kevin played. I believe in the games Kevin played last year we were fourth in offense, 12th in defense,” Clifford said before Nash’s Nets fell 110-99 to the Bucks. “Kyrie didn’t play for different reasons. If Kevin never gets hurt we’re like second or third, [we have] home-court [advantage], we’re not playing Boston in the first round and it’s a totally different season. You can always get into all these other things. The number one thing by far, games missed, that’s it.”