Former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson emerges as candidate to join Ty Lue’s Clippers staff: report
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="In a pair of tweets, Stein said that Atkinson and Miami Heat assistant Don Craig were two top names being considered for Lue’s staff.» data-reactid=»24″>In a pair of tweets, Stein said that Atkinson and Miami Heat assistant Don Craig were two top names being considered for Lue’s staff.
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Lue's cabinet is expected to include former NBA point guard (1980-91) and longtime coach Larry Drew (1992-present), who was the Atlanta Hawks head coach (2010-13) and a Cleveland Cavaliers assistant (2014-18) with Lue, Stein added. Drew replaced Lue (2016-18) as the Cavs’ head coach in 2018 after an 0-6 start, but did not far much better, going 19-57 as Cleveland parted ways with him when his contract expired.» data-reactid=»25″>Lue’s cabinet is expected to include former NBA point guard (1980-91) and longtime coach Larry Drew (1992-present), who was the Atlanta Hawks head coach (2010-13) and a Cleveland Cavaliers assistant (2014-18) with Lue, Stein added. Drew replaced Lue (2016-18) as the Cavs’ head coach in 2018 after an 0-6 start, but did not far much better, going 19-57 as Cleveland parted ways with him when his contract expired.
Atkinson, 53, was the Nets’ head coach since 2016 until a March 7 parting of ways with Brooklyn. Atkinson engineered an accelerated Nets rebuild after going 48-116 from 2016-18, highlighted by the 2018-19 season’s 42-40 finish, including a sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="The Nets lost a five-game series to the Philadelphia 76ers and entered 2019-20 with a pair of marquee free agents in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Durant (right Achilles) and Irving (right shoulder) never took the court together, with Durant missing all of 2019-20 while Irving shut things down after a latest appearance Feb. 1.» data-reactid=»31″>The Nets lost a five-game series to the Philadelphia 76ers and entered 2019-20 with a pair of marquee free agents in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Durant (right Achilles) and Irving (right shoulder) never took the court together, with Durant missing all of 2019-20 while Irving shut things down after a latest appearance Feb. 1.
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="The Nets parted ways with Atkinson after a 28-34 start and promoted assistant Jacque Vaughn in the interim. Vaughn led a 7-3 regular-season finish, including seeding games.» data-reactid=»32″>The Nets parted ways with Atkinson after a 28-34 start and promoted assistant Jacque Vaughn in the interim. Vaughn led a 7-3 regular-season finish, including seeding games.
<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="A four-game sweep by the Toronto Raptors capped Brooklyn’s season. The Nets made an unexpected move for Atkinson’s replacement Sept. 3, hiring Steve Nash, who retained Vaughn as lead assistant.» data-reactid=»33″>A four-game sweep by the Toronto Raptors capped Brooklyn’s season. The Nets made an unexpected move for Atkinson’s replacement Sept. 3, hiring Steve Nash, who retained Vaughn as lead assistant.