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Brooklyn Nets: Sean Marks’ unpredictability makes him elite

ByAaron Notis|
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 23: Sean Marks of the Brooklyn Nets (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 23: Sean Marks of the Brooklyn Nets (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images)

Nets GM Sean Marks is a wild card and it’s great for the franchise.

The Brooklyn Nets have made so many unpredictable moves over Sean Marks’ tenure. And I’ve loved every second of it.

When he started with the Nets, Marks made a habit of making big offers restricted free agents, like Allen Crabbe and Tyler Johnson, forcing opposing teams to match the contracts and get stuck with prohibitive salaries.

Marks’ next strategic move was to trade for big contracts as long as they came with picks. This is how he acquired the likes of D’Angelo Russell and Caris LeVert. He then turned Russell into Kevin Durant. Then he signed Kyrie Irving.

To me, these signings hit like a truck. I always assumed players would rather go to the Knicks, Lakers or Heat; teams with bigger markets that have more fans and are more apt to attract big stars.

Durant and Irving joining the team revealed a notable shift in the perception of the Nets — Brooklyn is now the place to be.

Then, in a shocking move in the midst of a mediocre season, Marks fired head coach Kenny Atkinson. Since the day Atkinson was fired, the next Nets coach was top of every fan’s mind. We’ve all done the research, placing our bets on who would be next. Gregg Popovich, Tyronn Lue, Jacque Vaughn, and Becky Hammond were the top candidates in my mind.

Then the Nets hired Steve Nash out of nowhere.

This hit almost as hard as the Durant and Irving signings.

Nash, an eight-time NBA All-Star, won back-to-back MVP awards in 2005 and 2006 while playing for the Suns. He has spent the last five seasons as a player development consultant with the Golden State Warriors, where he was part of two NBA Championship teams and made four straight trips to the NBA Finals.

Additionally, the Nets are keeping Jacque Vaughn on as a lead assistant for the team. Vaughn was exceptionally effective with the young up-and-coming players in the bubble. He will be a key piece to the Nets’ success in the coming years.

This decision was made months ago, apparently. They talked about Pop and Vaughn and went a completely different route.

Outside of the Nets, I don’t think a single person in the NBA thought about Nash as a head coach. And, that’s what makes Marks so special. He’s incredibly unpredictable, which is exactly the kind of GM you need when your team has been underachieving for the last 17 years and has yet to capture an NBA Finals.

Nash’s signing is the first of an important offseason for Brooklyn. With healthy superstars, the Nets will propel themselves into the title conversation. What does Marks have up his sleeve next to bolster this roster? Who knows, but the team arguably needs a third star and we’re going to keep any and all possibilities on our radar.