The Brooklyn Nets, at 39-39, have been one of the biggest surprises of this NBA season. They currently find themselves seventh in the East, with a one game advantage on the Magic in ninth, and are hoping to return to the postseason for the first time since 2015.
Since that last playoff appearance, the Nets have been among the league’s bottom dwellers, but have steadied the ship under the guidance of Kenny Atkinson as coach and Sean Marks as general manager since 2016. Despite being left with an empty cupboard when he arrived, Marks has made shrewd deals to take on salary but acquire assets and young players, who have in turn been developed into quality NBA players by Atkinson and his staff.
Late on Monday night, following a loss to the Bucks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the entire staff was finalizing extensions to keep them in Brooklyn for the foreseeable future. The extensions are well deserved and it seems wise for the team to go ahead and lock those in now.
Speaking recently with D’Angelo Russell, the All-Star guard raved about Atkinson, calling him a “scientist” and citing the way he puts players in a great position to succeed. It’s clear that Atkinson is a well-liked and well-respected coach around the league but most importantly in the Brooklyn locker room, where he and the rest of the staff have been able to develop much of that core group in house and tap into the potential of players that were previously cast off.
