The Brooklyn Nets finally have a plan in place for the future. Executing it with success in terms of wins and losses, though, will be difficult despite the organization’s new and long overdue front-office stability.
On Sunday afternoon, the Nets announced the hiring of Atlanta Hawks assistant Kenny Atkinson as head coach.
General manager Sean Marks, who was appointed under backwards circumstances in late February, says that Atkinson’s experience learning from successful coaches and strong player development reputation make him a perfect fit in Brooklyn.
“We are thrilled to announce Kenny Atkinson as our new head coach and to welcome him and his family to Brooklyn,” said Nets General Manager Sean Marks. “Kenny’s years of NBA coaching experience working under successful head coaches such as Mike Budenholzer and Mike D’Antoni have provided him with the foundation and experience we were looking for in a head coach. We believe that Kenny’s core principles, leadership,communication skills and exceptional background in player development make him an ideal fit for the culture we are building in Brooklyn.”
Atkinson, meanwhile, stresses that while he’s thrilled to begin his tenure with the Nets, his current focus remains on helping the Hawks advance in the playoffs.
“I am truly honored and humbled to be named the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, and I would like to thank Nets’ ownership and management for this tremendous opportunity,” said Atkinson. “Together with Sean and his staff, we look forward to building a winning tradition here in Brooklyn. I also want to acknowledge and thank Mike Budenholzer and the entire Atlanta Hawks organization for their cooperation and support throughout this process. While I am eager to begin working with the Nets, I remain committed to my coaching responsibilities with the Hawks for the remainder of the postseason.”
Atkinson began his NBA career in 2007-08 as the Director of Player Development for the Houston Rockets. He moved to the bench one year later, taking an assistant coaching job with the New York Knicks. Atkinson has been with the Hawks since 2012, strengthening his reputation as one of the game’s brightest and most forward-thinking minds in the process.
The 48 year old has been pegged as a head coach-in-waiting for years. Atkinson is credited with fostering the development of cast offs turned starters like DeMarre Carroll and Kent Bazemore, and is consistently lauded by players and staff members alike for his upbeat and encouraging approach to team-wide nourishment. He’s the type of coach made for the modern NBA.
At least in the early going, however, it likely won’t matter with the Nets. A series of win-now trades and lavish overspending has left the franchise bereft of upward mobility. The Boston Celtics get Brooklyn’s first-round pick this summer and in 2018, and also own the right to swap first-round selections with the Nets next year. While Marks did well to rid his team of deadweight salary and finally get meaningful cap space, the rest of the league will be flush with available funds come July as the cap skyrockets to $92 million, too.
There’s no quick fix for the Nets, basically. Like hiring Marks, though, naming Atkinson head coach is certainly a step in the right direction for an organization that’s lagged well behind the rest of the NBA – well, except for the Sacramento Kings – over the last several years when it coms to front-office decision making.
Here’s hoping Mikhail Prokhorov understands Brooklyn’s immediate limitations and gives Atkinson proper time to grow his team. If so, the Nets finally seem poised to emerge from the depths of mockery.
(Nets)
