Brooklyn Nets fans woke up to a surprise on Saturday morning as their head coach Kenny Atkinson and the team decided to part ways. This news comes after the Nets beat the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night. The Nets are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference standings.
Brooklyn Nets Part Ways with Head Coach Kenny Atkinson
This news is surprising especially since this year was just a season to play out before Kevin Durant came back. Durant is nursing an Achilles injury. Kyrie Irving was also out for the rest of the season after suffering a shoulder injury. Next season was supposed to be when the Nets would make their move to win an NBA championship. It now looks like Atkinson won’t be a part of the team moving forward.
The Nets are parting ways with head coach Kenny Atkinson.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 7, 2020
According to NBA.com, General Manager Sean Marks issued the following statement on the decision:
“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,” Marks said.
Atkinson was instrumental to the Nets rebuild as he developed players like Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert. He was able to tap into D’Angelo Russell‘s potential and get him to go to his first All-Star game. Jarrett Allen is another player who has been able to flourish under the direction of Atkinson.
After failed head coaching singings of Avery Johnson, Jason Kidd and Lionel Hollins and years of barely playing in the playoffs the Nets decided to sign Kenny Atkinson in 2016 and start to get the Nets towards winning a title. In four seasons the Nets only made the playoffs once which was last year. Jacques Vaughn will be the interim head coach. It will be interesting with Irving and Durant coming back who the Nets decide to have as their new head coach.
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