With the Brooklyn Nets offseason already underway, new General Manager Sean Marks has wasted any time in filling out his front office and coaching staff.
So we have hit the off-season, every Nets fans is eagerly awaiting the master plan from Sean Marks that will rectify the Nets future and turn us in to a world beater. Well maybe it won’t happen like that, but Sean Marks has already been busy in the off season and is getting the right people in place.
Sean Marks was hired in February and given the tough job of putting the pieces back together of a broken franchise in New York. After a few weeks on the job, he hired Trajan Langdon from the Cleveland Cavaliers as his Assistant General Manager. Langdon spent three years with the Spurs and also played for CSKA Moscow, so seemed like a obvious hire.
On April 17th, the Nets hired Kenny Atkinson as Head Coach in the biggest appointment and decision Marks and Co. have had to make in the off-season. Hired from the Hawks (who lost in Eastern Conference Semi-Finals 4-0 to the Cavs) Atkinson was a great appointment. Of the hire, Marks said, “We believe that Kenny’s core principles, leadership, communication skills and exceptional background in player development make him an ideal fit for the culture we are building in Brooklyn.”
Next came Jacque Vaughn as Atkinson’s lead assistant coach. Once again, this hiring followed the Spurs connection that Brooklyn has seemed to have adopted. Vaughn spent the 2015-16 season in the San Antonio Spurs’ front office as a pro personnel director. Vaughn was fired as the Magic’s coach in February of 2015 with a 43-121 record in three-plus seasons. He had been an assistant coach with the Spurs prior to taking the Orlando head coaching job in 2012.
Atkinson will probably have around six assistants for the season and reports are now coming through of three, but are yet to be confirmed by the Nets.
Jordan Ott coming in as assistant coach, hired from Hawks was reported May 13. Atlanta Hawks PG Jeff Teague tweeted:
"‘S/o to Kenny and J.O. Brooklyn is getting a grade head coach and one my favorite assistant coaches #DotheRightThing‘"
He has served as the Hawks’ video coordinator for the past three seasons. Atkinson and Ott have worked together as part of the Hawks’ Las Vegas Summer League coaching staff, too. Also, Ott worked with Atkinson when he coached the Dominican Republic National Team last summer.
Next up to be another assistant coach is Adam Harrington, which was reported May 21. Adam Harrington will be the new shooting coach. Harrington used to be the shooting coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder and he is expected to replace David Nurse on Brooklyn’s staff. He is Kevin Durant’s personal trainer which obviously means that we are getting KD in the free agency market.
Finally, on May 24th it was reported that Chris Fleming, one of Mike Malone’s assistants in Denver, would be joining Brooklyn in a similar role to his in Denver. Fleming served as an offensive coach in Denver. Before his time with the Nuggets, Fleming was the head coach for the German National Team and drew high praise for his work as an offensive-minded coach.
Other mentions:
- Ronald Nored, 26, Head Coach, Long Island Nets, hired from Northern Kentucky.
- Andrew Baker, 26, Coordinator, Strategic Planning, hired from the Spurs in March.
- Natalie Jay has been named as cap and contract specialist. Jay comes to Brooklyn after most recently serving as a judicial law clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in St. Louis.
- Ryan Gisriel has been named as Director of Basketball Administration. Gisriel started with the Nets as an intern in 2013.
- Charles Payne and Shelden Williams have been named as pro and college scout, respectively.