There are plenty of questions currently unanswered entering this upcoming season for the Brooklyn Nets; amongst them, is how DeAndre Jordan and Kenny Atkinson will coincide.
There is always speculation when basketball players move from one team to another. How will they fit within this next roster, will they be consistent, for better or worse? Another one being how the player/coach dynamic will be for this newcomer? So with all that being said, will the Brooklyn Nets flourish or endure problems between DeAndre Jordan and Kenny Atkinson?
Brooklyn, at the very least, acquired a security blanket with the addition of Jordan. He should be a significant boost to the team’s confidence and gameplan this 2019-2020 season. The question is how will Jordan tend to get along with coach Kenny Atkinson this upcoming season. Both Atkinson and Jordan have strong personalities and are both charismatic. Atkinson has also expressed how excited he was for Jordan to be picked up.
Jordan is used to starting basketball games, he’s stated he’ll do whatever it takes to help this team win, even if that hypothetically means assimilating himself in a role he’s not necessarily familiar with. For this to be a seamless transition, however, he has to fully buy-in and believe in coach Atkinson’s approach.
Kenny Atkinson wouldn't commit to a starter in the Jarrett Allen-DeAndre Jordan center battle. But he said after speaking with Jordan - who hasn't come off the bench in a game since 2011 - the vet told him he'll do whatever is needed for #Nets to win.
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) July 9, 2019
Jordan was still putting up respectable numbers in his time spent with the Knicks last year, averaging 10.9 points and 11.4 rebounds per game in his brief tenure in the “Big Apple”. The difference-maker between his time spent in MSG and his future in Barclays is the amount of talent and depth this roster has.
Jordan is familiar with superstar talent in the locker room and could be a welcoming asset for Atkinson in regards to being a veteran presence for this roster.
Even with a less-significant role, he’s still capable of being a walking double-double. He could even provide a dynamic duo with Jarrett Allen, or as aforementioned, serve as a security blanket in fending off the more physical big’s in the NBA.
Overall, Deandre Jordan’s relationship with Kenny Atkinson and the Brooklyn Nets could be memorable if there’s a positive dynamic between the two moving forward. With Kevin Durant and Kyrie as his support, the team should be nothing less than exciting.