The Brooklyn Nets are looking for a new head coach and there are some names that have been thrown in the mix. The first one was Tyronn Lue with some believing Kyrie Irving would want to reunite with his former coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Both were part of the 2016 NBA title run although some feel David Blatt deserved most of the credit.
Now, a new name in the mix is Mark Jackson. The 54-year-old former NBA player has been out of coaching and last handled the Golden State Warriors in 2014. He has since been doing commentary but most believe he could be a plausible choice. He could also get some strong backing being a close friend of player agent Rick Kleiman. He is the same guy who manages Kevin Durant, the New York Daily News reported.
However, there are some concerns about whether Jackson would fit in the head coaching needs of the Nets. For one, he does not have a good history when it comes to working well with assistant coaches or building the right culture. Culture is one of the things that Durant is pretty particular about and the former NBA MVP may not jive with Jackson's philosophy, NBC Sports reported.
When Jackson called the shot for the Dubs, he had trouble finding the right assistant coaches. He did not have a fluid relationship with the ones present at the time and even had some issues with management. Sean Marks may not be amenable to the idea, aware that he needs someone the organization can rely on without headaches along the way.
As most know, Kenny Atkinson left because most of the players did not have confidence in him. Irving and Durant were among the players singled out and Jackson may not be any better. That said, all the Nets can do for now is rely on interim head coach Jacque Vaughn. He takes over at a delicate stage with the Nets trying to survive and make the NBA playoffs. As of this writing, they are 29-34 and slugging it out for positioning with the Orlando Magic.
Without Irving and Durant, the Nets may not get past the first round. They are likely to face either the Milwaukee Bucks or Toronto Raptors, powerhouse teams that could be too much to handle. Brooklyn may get a pass this year if they fall in the first round. But once Irving and Durant are back starting next season, it will be a totally different outlook. But first, they need to figure out who will officially call the shots this summer.
