Brooklyn and Kenny Atkinson decide the best time for a coaching change is with 20 games left in the season and with the Nets smack in the middle of a playoff run.
Kenny Atkinson and the Brooklyn Nets took care of business against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, March 6. The Nets got a 139-120 victory to further solidify their standing in the Eastern Conference playoffs. After the crazy week their crosstown rivals, the New York Knicks, had, you would think things in Brooklyn would be going swimmingly.
Yah…and you would be wrong!
What the what?!
Kenny Atkinson struggled in his first two years with the Brooklyn Nets, but he bounced back last year to lead the team to a 42-40 record and a playoff birth in his third season, surprising the hell out of any rational NBA fan.
The turnaround even helped secure the signings of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the offseason. In the words of Jay- Z, Hello Brooklyn!
Who’s gonna cry in the car?
Here is the statement released by the club:
The real question: is there more to this? What is the catalyst for this unorthodox decision?
Kenny Atkinson has kept the Brooklyn Nets competitive in a season where Kevin Durant hasn’t played as he rehabs his Achilles and one in which he barely has had Kyrie Irving on the floor. Why this? Why now?
What’s next for the Brooklyn Nets and Kenny Atkinson?
The Nets will need a new coach next season. They will, certainly, be an attractive destination for any coach with, likely, back to back playoff appearances and the additions of Durant and Irving.
Is it possible that this plan comes from wanting a more experienced, championship-level coach to lead the squad once it is at full strength?
Was the fix in because he didn’t get along with the new additions? Some fans on Twitter seem to think so:
It would seem that Kenny Atkinson will have plenty of options once he decides what his next move will be, based on his success with the Brooklyn Nets.
Lots of folks on Twitter want Atkinson, even if the Nets don’t. Fans of the Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic, and Philadelphia 76ers are all clamoring for their squads to nab Atkinson.
And then, there are the Knicks.
It could be a nice way to send a middle finger to your former bosses to take over the disaster that is the rival Knicks and turn things around. The sentiment is one that resonates with Knicks fans on Twitter:
Who knows what is next, but the Brooklyn Nets firing Kenny Atkinson in the last month of the season is certainly a stunner as the NBA hard-charges toward the playoffs.
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