There’s an unwritten rule in the NBA right now that coaches will not be fired while play is suspended. It would be bad form. However, once the rest of the regular season is played or canceled, there is going to be a Black Monday with a lot of coaching changes expected this summer.
One change we know is coming: A new coach in Brooklyn. Kenny Atkinson was let go before play was shut down due to the coronavirus, and the Nets are looking for a blue-chip coach who can lead a contending team.
Brooklyn is looking at some big names, Marc Stein of the New York Times Tweeted.
Tyronn Lue, Jason Kidd, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy and the incumbent interim coach Jacque Vaughn are among the names on the Nets' developing list of coaching candidates, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 23, 2020
The Nets' process to name a full-time replacement for Kenny Atkinson is not expected to hit top speed until this season is either completed or canceled, but they have been collecting names and, at this juncture, Tom Thibodeau is believed to be solely a Knicks candidate
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 23, 2020
Lue is considered the frontrunner because Kyrie Irving wants him and Lue has championship experience. Whoever is the coach needs to be able to establish a relationship with, work with, and really coach Irving and Kevin Durant. All four of the coaches on that list have the gravitas to step in and do the job, Lue has the advantage of having coached — and won a title with — Irving before.
Lue is currently the lead assistant for Doc Rivers with the Clippers. Kidd is the top assistant on the Lakers’ coaching staff, while Van Gundy and Jackson are in the ABC/ESPN broadcast booth.
As interesting as the coaching search may be, what will be more critical to making the Nets a genuine threat to the Bucks and any other contender in the East is the roster moves Brooklyn makes in the offseason. Will they re-sign Joe Harris? How aggressive will they be on the trade market, and who is available for them to chase? Don’t expect the Nets to sit back, they are thinking title and will take big swings this summer.
