For the Nets, Would Thibs Be Lucky Number Seven?
If you are keeping score at home the Nets are up to their fifth coach in less than four years since their move to Brooklyn. Well, technically that number is six if you count Joe Prunty’s two-game stint for the then suspended Jason Kidd. The situation has been ridiculed and it’s precisely why the next person who will be introduced as the Nets’ head coach is the right guy and here to stay.
There are plenty of qualified candidates out there, but the slam-dunk hire the Nets need to lead them into this uncertain future is Tom Thibodeau. With more and more NBA coaches getting fired, the former Bulls coach will have his pick of the litter. After all, he is the most sought after unemployed candidate. Unfortunately, the Brooklyn gig may be the least desirable of the bunch.
Despite the lack of assets the Nets possess in the short-term, they do have the owner with arguably the deepest pockets. They will have their competition, but if Mikhail Prokhorov is wise, he will pay Thibs whatever it takes to entice him to choose Brooklyn over the other vacancies. Should Thibodeau accept, ownership finally needs to show patience and assure the job security he deserves.
Aside from being a splashy hire, Thibodeau is also a coach of substance. During his five-year tenure in Chicago, he compiled a 255–139 record (a winning percentage of 64.7%). He elevated a team that was previously stuck in mediocrity into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. In a way, he’s the Jim Harbaugh of the NBA — a proven winner who just clashed with upper management. Ask yourself if the Bulls (and 49ers) have been better off since their departures.
With Thibodeau comes a culture of toughness, accountability, and defense. It’s what we thought we were getting when Lionel Hollins was brought in, only to quickly learn that he wasn’t the brain behind Memphis’ defensive juggernaut. Thibs, on the other hand, is that guy.
It’s no coincidence that the best sports organizations have a strong culture fully in place to churn out a winner each year. In these systems, everyone knows their role and everyone buys in. Don’t the San Antonio Spurs, the New England Patriots, and the St. Louis Cardinals all have this in common? If one player goes down, doesn’t someone else step right in and thrive in his place? Isn’t this something the Nets have always lacked?
Yes, Thibodeau’s Bulls don’t belong in the same class as those other championship organizations, but there are parallels in terms of stability and sustained success. Those Chicago teams had a clear identity and they were routinely in the conversation as legitimate contenders during that time. Even when they were decimated by injuries (specifically the 2013 playoffs) they still showed the resiliency to defeat a healthy Brooklyn team on the road in Game 7 and play the eventual NBA Champions, the Miami Heat, to a competitive five-game series.
The cynic will point to his sub-500 postseason record and say the Bulls never advanced beyond the Eastern Conference Finals. Then again, Thibodeau usually took his team into battle sans his franchise star, Derrick Rose. How many other coaches would’ve been able navigate through all that adversity?
Unless the Nets strike free agency gold this summer in the form of Kevin Durant, the talent influx figures to be a major issue. With either no first round draft picks or those unfortunate pick swaps over the next few years, so much of their success will continue to hinge upon the player development of former late first round and second rounders, as well as reclamation projects who’ve been discarded by their former teams.
It’s obviously not ideal to rely on this type of talent when rebuilding, but Thibodeau does have a track record with players who fall under this category, notably Jimmy Buter and Taj Gibson who were selected 30th and 26th respectively. Furthermore, journeymen such as D.J. Augustin and Nate Robinson seemed to excel while playing in Chicago.
When you look at the Nets current roster, you have to wonder if players like Markel Brown and Thomas Robinson, who are still young and athletically gifted, can carve out a niche in this league with the right coaching. As for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, one can only imagine what type of player he could become under Thibodeau’s tutelage, not to mention the growth that’s still possible for Brook Lopez.
It’s been a long time since the Nets have had a coach who had a level of league-wide respect and a resume filled with nothing but success. In fact, you may have to go back nearly 25 years ago when Chuck Daly was hired and brought instant credibility to the Garden State.
Thibodeau could be that guy for the Nets. It will cost a pretty penny and may take a few years, but the Nets path to respectability and success will come into focus sooner with him roaming the home sidelines at the Barclays Center.
It’s a tough sell, but nothing is impossible. As Ted DiBiase used to famous say, “everyone has a price”.
