Brooklyn Nets: 4 Dark Horse Candidates to Become Head Coach

Gregg Popovich

Gregg Popovich’s name found itself tied to the Nets shortly after Atkinson’s tenure with the team ended, but his strong ties to San Antonio as well as his talent for never offering the media anything to chew on allowed most to cast aside any takes narrating a future pairing between Brooklyn and coach Pop after a week or two.

Although he indeed stands a the game’s biggest fish, certainly tough for Brooklyn to reel in, to completely disregard the idea might come as a mistake.

If the NBA season were to continue, it would likely leave the Popovich’s Spurs outside the playoffs for the first time since his initial year as the team’s coach in 1996.

Although once a powerhouse as arguably the most successful NBA team since the 90s, today’s Spurs and their 27-36 record failed to continue the winning trend formerly set up and maintained by Popovich over the years.

Likely warranting this shift for the franchise, the Spurs noticeably lack any promising star players to assist them for the first time during Popovich’s head coaching run, as they failed to introduce a successor for the team like how Tim Duncan succeeded David Robinson, who was then followed by Kawhi Leonard.

Now the Spurs look lost without a budding star to lead them through the tough Western Conference.

Although DeMar DeRozan certainly helps out as a solid player for San Antonio, he fails to make winning a habit like the great Spurs who came before him.

Worth noting as well, almost no team holds stronger ties to Popovich other than the Spurs than the Brooklyn Nets, as Nets GM Sean Marks worked within the front office and coached beside the three-time NBA coach of the year for three years.

Pop never once hinted at leaving the Spurs during his 23 years with the team, but he never had a reason to do until now, as the team continues to digress and lack any real building blocks.

Although Popovich might also strike one as a man not to simply leave once the going gets tough, Pop is 71 years old, and who more deserves a chance to go elsewhere, take the “easy way out,” and join a championship-ready team?