Brooklyn Nets: 2016-17 Season Outlook

The Need For Cultural Change

The Nets have a reputation as a losing franchise. The team has really only seen consistent success in the early to mid 2000s when Jason Kidd was the leader of the team. Other than that, the franchise has been on a roller coaster ride for much of its existence. However, the Nets are trying to change that. And it will all start with Sean Marks and Kenny Atkinson.

This will be Atkinson’s first season as an NBA head coach. Luckily for Atkinson, he is going to an environment with low expectations. This will put less pressure on Atkinson to win games. In fact, he has the opportunity to overachieve with this team. This could be a blessing and a curse. It is great that Atkinson can look successful in his first season. It is bad that he could set the bar too high for himself to repeat next season.

How many games Atkinson wins this season should not be the primary focus for fans or management. What Brooklyn should be doing is establishing a new culture. Marks and Atkinson should be working together to establish a different atmosphere around the Nets as an organization. This is very important for recruiting players in the future. It is also important for retaining players.

Next: Beau Beech Looks to Make the Squad

With Sean Marks leaving the San Antonio Spurs, he brings everything needed for a culture change. He was involved with the Spurs for four years and has learned a lot during his time there. He got to see how the team operated and saw how everything runs behind the scenes in San Antonio. Marks will not make the Nets contenders over night, but hopefully he can start to right the ship in Brooklyn.