
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.
I must give a lot of Credit to Coach Phil Handy who worked with Bron and Kyrie for the past 4 years in Cleveland and now the head development Coach for Toronto this year! Kawhi and Siakam are both playing the best basketball of their Careers!!! 🤔
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) May 26, 2019
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.
Quietly playing huge role in Kyrie Irving's offensive explosion is Cavs player development coach Phil Handy, brought in by Mike Brown in '13
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) March 13, 2015
Cavaliers player development coach/assistant coach Phil Handy skipped on coming to All-Star to workout Kyrie Irving in L.A. during the break
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) February 12, 2016
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.