Nets center Brook Lopez has now had eight different coaches and will likely be playing for a ninth by the start of next season. Assistant Tony Brown has been named the interim coach for Brooklyn after Lionel Hollins was fired earlier today. The organization seems to be in shambles, but one good thing, at least, is that there is no shortage of potential candidates with prior head coaching experience.
Tom Thibodeau, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson highlight a list of available candidates. It’s also worth noting that CEO Brett Yormark is reportedly enamored with John Calipari. Hiring any one of those four would make for a splashy headline, but is what any of them presents what will fix the Nets? Maybe. Hollins, however, inherited a mess and the real issue with Brooklyn is that they are paying for short-sighted transactions from recent years, Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post opines. While I agree with Bontemps’ assessment that Hollins was dealt a bad hand, the Nets are 10-27 and part of that falls on the coach.
That leads us to today’s shootaround topic: Who should be the next head coach of the Nets?
If it was my call, I’d make a run at Luke Walton, who has done an admirable job filling in for Steve Kerr with the Warriors. Obviously, coaching Golden State does not present the kind of challenges coaching the Nets would, but I believe Walton has earned his shot. Hiring someone like Jackson would represent everything that has gone wrong for the Nets to this point, in my opinion, because he is a big-name, old-school basketball mind.
Being mindful of our commenting policy, let us know in the comments section below what your thoughts are. We look forward to what you have to share.
I would hire mark Jackson, he does a good job of motivating players and maximizing talent. Players seem to like him and connect with him. Plus a more offensive focus would seem to fit this roster more than Hollins defense first mentality
I would hire mark Jackson
How about a trade of Thad young and Donald Sloan for collinson mclemore and Eric Moreland?
Kings get their PF instead of Quincy acy while nets get a young SG and their pg
Not a bad idea on paper, although the salaries would have to be close to match. But this all depends on how much value the Kings place into Mclemore. If they feel he can be a stud, or at least a better contributor than young (not saying he is, but just a possible thought process of the Kings) they’d be better off keeping him.
It works on NBA trade machine
Mark Jackson would be my pick. He’s coached some good teams before and even the year he got fired the Warriors won 50 games under him. I also think that the Nets should look for a draft pick in trades since they traded their pick to the Celtics in that terrible Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett-Jason Terry trade.
I don’t understand why everyone is getting so excited about Luke Walton. Steve Kerr has been the coach behind the scenes, he’s just not there on the sidelines. The Warriors play within a system and often rely on Steph and Klay to dig them out of rare slumps. There have been times this season where Walton has failed to exploit Shaun Livingston’s advantage over players such as Isaiah Thomas. He’s doing a great job filling in and executing Kerr’s plans, but is still learning and young. I also doubt he’d want to leave. Just look at the Pelicans and Gentry for an example of how easy GS coaching staff have it with that group on the floor.
Thibodeau deserves another gig.
Nicely put. My thoughts too , what exactly has he done to be the next great thing?????
A lot of assumptions here. How do you know Kerr was the coach behind the scenes? Why do you doubt Walton would leave – you’re saying you doubt he’d take a promotion? You’re blaming Walton for failure to exploit a player such as Livingston but then vouch for Thibs who failed to exploit a lot of players….
Because during the broadcast of every game this season, Jim Barnett and Fitz have repeatedly alluded to Kerr being back in the locker room watching film, and that he was still very much calling the shots, handing over the sidelines to Walton because of surgery related pain and absence.
Luke strikes me as very switched on and more than aware of his youth and relative inexperience. Don’t think Bill won’t be in his ear too, keeping his feet on the ground. Luke has very ably processed substitutions, called out of bounds plays and told the team what they needed to hear in time outs, but let’s not forget that they are the champions, have improved as individuals and probably need little to no guidance in games. His inexperience shows in the Boston game where Shaun posted up Avery Bradley or Isaiah Thomas and scored three or four straight times on consecutive turnarounds and despite the lead being slim, the ball didn’t go back to him once. Perhaps there were reasons I wasn’t aware of.
And whatever Thibs’ faults are, anything in Brooklyn would be an improvement at this point.
Luke will be a very good coach one day, but right now he should be very thankful for being in his current situation.
Mark Jackson was one of my favourite players, but I am much less impressed with how he comes across in the media. I don’t think any coach should be expecting, enforcing or alienating anyone with prayer meetings as part of team practice.
mark jackson is a uncle tom & players can’t stand him for that
If the Nets want to steal some headlines and fans from the Knicks, they should strongly consider hiring Patrick Ewing.
John calipari makes the most sense gives them player appeal and a coach that knows how to coach
I’m not sold on Calipari’s ability to coach. Coaching at the college and professional level are so much different in that the rules are different and the speed of the game is quicker. I know he has some experience in the NBA, but its easy to look like a superstar coach when your team is better than probably 95% of the teams you’re going to play. He’s a great teacher/mentor type of coach and would be great for a young rebuilding team.
The Nets job isn’t a great one for an established coach. Unless they can work miracles in free agency, the franchise is going to be low on talent for several years. Someone looking for a second chance makes sense, like Mark Jackson, or a first-time head coach like Ewing is a great idea. But whoever takes the job will have to be ready for a long rebuilding process.
ISAIAH THOMAS FOR GM
CHIP KELLY FOR COACH