The Brooklyn Nets lost their lead tactician over the weekend, and per the statement issued, it was a mutual separation, meaning both sides agreed not to work anymore. Meanwhile, the stories are out there that Kenny Atkinson was fired and Kyrie Irving had a hand on what transpired.
Irving only played 20 games with Brooklyn in the season due to injury woes, and with him, on and off the court, the Nets were losing. The chance remains that the club can still crash into the playoff but not with Atkinson anymore. The speculations suggested the coach is now out and in part because of Irving.
The mutual decision to part midseason was not contested, but on the part of Atkinson, his deteriorating relationship with Irving, who enjoys a considerable pull with Brooklyn execs, was partly to blame.
Per Bleacher Report, the two ended up in a ruined working relationship after only months in training and playing, citing the story published on the matter by Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports.
"Irving soured on Atkinson early, league sources told Yahoo Sports, and currently prefers Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue to be the team's next head coach," Goodwill was reported as saying.
However, the sudden exit of Atkinson is a puzzle in the sense that Kevin Durant had professed that he was drawn to the Nets in a big part because of the team's culture. And KD greatly attributed the establishment of such culture to the former head coach.
With Atkinson now gone, Durant has lost the opportunity to work with the person he credited as the force that pulled him mightily to Brooklyn. But it can be said too that while Atkinson decided to head for the exit door, the Nets affirming the move indicated that the coach's exit has the blessing from Durant.
As CBS Sports said, KD indeed once admired Atkinson but "if Durant still felt that way, Atkinson would still be the coach."
Also, it is quite clear that the decision to let go of the head coach was Brooklyn choosing Irving over the man who worked to build a team able to win titles. The Nets saw Irving as the more important component to achieve the goal, so he is staying, and Atkinson forced to move elsewhere.
The club can only hope the right decision was made, and that's because Irving has no record of winning a title all by his might alone. He has an NBA ring because he played with a Cavaliers squad that boasted of a LeBron James.
When Durant returns next season, he and Irving will win games and could end up playing in the Finals. Per the same report, the pair might just win the 2021 NBA Finals, but as always the case, Irving cannot claim sole credit, which again should remind Brooklyn: Are the accommodations accorded to Irving worth the trouble of firing Atkinson?
