Nets: 3 head coach options that would be perfect for Kevin Durant

Here are three Nets head coach options that would be perfect for Kevin Durant.

As the Brooklyn Nets prepare for their first round matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks, there are a ton of questions surrounding general manager Sean Marks’ search for a new head coach.

Earlier this week, a report from The Athletic featured a list of potential candidates, and to say that it was underwhelming would be an understatement.

If nothing else, it confirmed that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, who arrived as free agents last summer but missed most of the season with injuries, will have their fingerprints all over the decision.

While we are fully on board with the Nets retaining interim head coach Jacque Vaughn amid his spectacular showing pre and post-restart, we’re unfortunately forced to accept the fact that Brooklyn will consider all of its options.

With that in mind, let’s highlight a few names that would be perfect fit for Durant specifically.

3. Mike D’Antoni

Mike D’Antoni is in the final year of his contract with the Houston Rockets, and there’s honestly no way to know if he’ll be back next season. Reports indicated that both sides were negotiating an extension last summer, but those talks ultimately dissolved leading up to the new campaign.

That leads us to believe that D’Antoni’s future will rest on the Rockets’ performance in the playoffs. With point guard Russell Westbrook expected to miss the beginning of Houston’s opening round matchup against a resilient Oklahoma City Thunder side, he could be out of a job before long.

Assuming that D’Antoni wouldn’t adopt his small-ball philosophy in Brooklyn, we truly think he’d be a perfect fit in what projects to be a frenetic Nets offense that’s comprised of iso-centric scorers in Durant, Irving and Caris LeVert. Just imagine the numbers KD could produce in the 69-year-old’s system, which has helped Houston make the playoffs in each of his four seasons at the helm.

If D’Antoni hits the open market, Brooklyn should absolutely give him an interview.

2. Tyronn Lue

Fans in Brooklyn are just going to have to accept that Tyronn Lue is being seriously considered to fill the Nets’ head coaching vacancy, and the more we think about it, the more we are actually warming up to the idea. Hey, it’s not Jason Kidd! At least when Lue gets overwhelmed by the influence of superstars, he delivers results!

For starters, the Los Angeles Clippers assistant has plenty of experience coaching superstars and was extremely successful in doing so. With Irving and LeBron James running the show, he led the Cleveland Cavaliers to three consecutive Finals appearances (which included a championship) from 2015 to 2018.

While Lue’s reunion with Irving is ideal, he undoubtedly has the respect of Durant, who played against him in two of those Finals with the Golden State Warriors.

In the end, hiring a head coach who has experience in the playoffs, managing the egos of superstars and overcoming internal turmoil should be the Nets’ number one priority. The 43-year-old checks all of those boxes.

1. Mark Jackson

Some folks in the media are stressing that Mark Jackson’s return to coaching is being forced and that he would end up disappointing wherever he ends up. When you consider his apparent fit with the Nets, that’s a pretty strange hill to die on.

For starters, Jackson is a Brooklyn native and flaunts a strong relationship with Durant’s manager, Rich Kleiman. If there was one free agent coach who the 10-time All-Star would welcome to the Nets without hesitation, it’s the 55-year-old.

Most NBA analysts agree that Jackson laid the groundwork for the Golden State Warriors before their dynasty took flight. If you ask us, he was unfairly jettisoned before the franchise hired Steve Kerr. Brooklyn needs a players’ coach who has experience with young players and stars, and the ESPN color commentator fills that bill.