Nets Go Substance Over Style With Kenny Atkinson

As Originally Published on BestofNJ.com

This past Monday, the Brooklyn Nets introduced Kenny Atkinson as their new head coach. The hiring of the Long Island native marks the sixth coach (if you include interims Tony Brown and PJ Carlesimo) the Nets have employed since their move to Brooklyn. But for the first time, it seems as if the right guy was selected for the job. It wasn’t the splashiest of hires, but judging by the league-wide praise from players, coaches, and the media, Nets fans may have a reason to smile.

The Nets are in a dire situation until 2019, the year in which they finally regain possession and control of their draft picks. Until then, much of their success depends on their ability to develop the talent they currently roster, as well as the free agents they plan to target this offseason. Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young are known commodities, but there’s room for growth from several other Nets players who management envision as part of the core moving forward. This is exactly where Atkinson factors in.

Nets fans got a glimpse of what some of their youth was able to do last year, whether it was Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s defensive prowess, Bojan Bogdanovic’s outside shooting, Chris McCullough’s athleticism, or Sean Kilpatrick’s knack for scoring. As expected, these performances were inconsistent on many nights, but it showed promise. If Atkinson can deliver on his reputation as a player development guru, then these four should grow under his tutelage to not only be rotational players but also form a solid supporting cast for Lopez and Young.

With limited assets over the next few years, it figures to be an uphill battle for Brooklyn. It may be a long road back to relevancy, but the brain trust now in place seems to have a plan that’s more focused on rebuilding the Nets the right way; with sustainable success in mind rather than attempts to steal back-page headlines from their cross-borough rivals.