Shocking news occurred today in the NBA, when Brooklyn Nets announced that they and head coach Kenny Atkinson mutually agreed to terminate their cooperation.
Brooklyn’s Surprising Move
Nets’ general manager Sean Marks issued a statement today, saying that the organization and Atkinson agreed that it is the best for both sides to part ways. Interestingly, the reason for this action, according to the statement itself, is the “progress of the season.”
“After discussions with Kenny about the progress of the season, we mutually agreed that a coaching change would be in the best interest of the team,” said Marks.
This is a very odd explanation, having in mind that the Nets’ chances for reaching the playoffs look extremely well and that they occupy No.7 in the East. Right now they are five games ahead of the Wizards who are in the hunt for the postseason and have a record of 28 wins and 34 losses.
But still, that is something expected, having in mind that their top players and two big superstars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant couldn’t help the team due to their injuries. Irving played 20 games this season, while Durant didn’t appear for a single minute following his Achilles tendon rupture in the NBA Finals. The doctors announced that he wouldn’t be available until next season.
Meanwhile, Irving played in 20 matches, but his productivity wasn’t satisfying, and it appeared that he failed to create chemistry with the rest of the team.
When we analyze all these factors, the reasonable conclusion is that Atkinson’s work as a head coach had to receive nothing but positive grades.
After the news broke out, there were many speculations regarding the reasons which triggered this action. Anthony Puccio stated that his sources told him about the alleged problems in the locker room, and that “some of the players” wanted to change the head coach.
Jacque Vaughn the Interim Solution
The former Orlando Magic head coach, and the assistant coach under Atkinson, Jacque Vaughn, will finish this season according to multiple sources.
Vaughn was the 27th overall pick in the 1997 draft, and he played for five teams in his 12 season in the NBA. In 2007 he won the NBA championship with the Spurs, and finished his career in San Antonio.
He would stay to work there, under Gregg Popovich from 2010-2012, and following that transfer to Florida, taking over the Orlando Magic. In three years, Vaughn posted 58 wins and 158 losses, not reaching up to the expectations, and eventually being fired. He would join the Nets in 2016, the same year Atkinson took over the wheel.
Vaughn will have a lot of problems, starting with the locker room, where apparently some relationships aren’t good as they should be. Also, they have a slight advantage over the Magic, who are sitting eight in the East, and breathing down their neck.
Apart from all these factors, he has to cope with the pressure which will be created by the media, regarding his potential replacements and his personal status in the organization. Nobody expects Vaughn to be a long-term solution, and that might present a massive pressure for the 45-year old.
