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Brooklyn Nets: 4 Dark Horse Candidates to Become Head Coach

By Collin Helwig

NEW YORK, NY -  DECEMBER 14: Brooklyn Nets General Manager Sean Marks speaks with the press before the game against the Washington Wizards on December 14, 2018 at Barclays Center in New York, NY. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY -  DECEMBER 14: Brooklyn Nets General Manager Sean Marks speaks with the press before the game against the Washington Wizards on December 14, 2018 at Barclays Center in New York, NY. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Brooklyn Nets
Phil Handy (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images) /

Phil Handy

Few know about Phil Handy and his resume alongside the relationship built up with Irving, but once they do, any take bidding him as the Nets next head coach seems quite possible.

Currently serving under Frank Vogel for the Los Angeles Lakers, few know what it takes to win a championship of late like Handy.

While working as an assistant coach with the Cavaliers during their four straight trips to the NBA Finals, including their 2016 title, and then moving onto to work aside and win another title with Nick Nurse as a Toronto Raptors assistant, Handy altogether helped five straight teams reach the NBA Finals at the very least.

One can certainly argue Handy might have stretched out that streak to six had the NBA season continued on given the Lakers’ presence as the top Western Conference team sporting an impressive 49-14 record.

But going back to his time with the Cavaliers, Handy expectedly crossed paths often with Irving frequently during his time with the team, even eventually befriending Irving and earning a spot as his designated trainer.

Given their relationship, one can easily argue that no NBA staff member holds closer ties to Irving than Handy, and considering how potential disagreements between Irving and company lead to Atkinson’s departure from the team, Handy appears as the most direct solution to that issue.

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But Handy continues to attract praise from those outside Irving’s camp as well, earning the respect around the league as a top tier basketball trainer.

By no means does Handy appear as a “buddy” or “yes-man” for Kyrie, but instead just a well-liked and knowledgable basketball figure who surely deserves his first shot as an NBA head coach.

Aside from this, Handy’s familiarity with team’s ascending to the NBA Finals each year certainly reflects Brooklyn’s goals as a team ready to win it all, and while he continues to fly under the media’s radar as still someone without any head coaching experience, what he brings to the table presents him as a tailor-made fit for the Nets.