Nets Insider Videos


Showing posts with label Cleveland Cavaliers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cleveland Cavaliers. Show all posts

Nets can't make the same mistake with Fernandez that they made with Atkinson



 The Brooklyn Nets have a great coach in Jordi Fernandez. They had a terrific coach from 2016 to 2019 in Kenny Atkinson. 

Due to a mass influx of superstars, including Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, they parted ways with their head coach back in 2019 to acquiesce to the stars' demands. 

Both of those stars, along with James Harden, left the Nets at the altar and it's clear five years after the Nets made a coaching change, that it was the wrong decision.

Jacque Vaughn took over for Atkinson at the end of 2019 and through the NBA bubble season during COVID-19.

Then, Sean Marks had the bright idea of hiring his former teammate with no head coaching experience whatsoever in Steve Nash. 

That, along with a bunch of internal dysfunction and lack of commitment from supposed leaders, led to a talented Nets roster failing to win a single Atlantic Division crown, Eastern Conference crown or NBA title. 

Now, the Nets are in an early similar position to where they were with Atkinson in 2016. Brooklyn is a gritty, never say die team that is making the most out of its talent with a competent and tough-nosed head coach.

Sound familiar?

Brooklyn's rebuild looks to be more of a retooling as Fernandez is fast tracking success at an overachieving 4-5 record. Many NBA pundits and even Nets fans were anticipating or even rooting for a tank season where the Nets would at worst land a top five NBA Draft Lottery pick.  

That scenario is very much on the table since Brooklyn started 13-10 last year with Jacque Vaughn in his second stint as head coach before being fired at the end of last year. 

The lesson learned here is when an organization hands over the keys to a star player, that player does not have the long-term interest of the team or the franchise at hand. 

The Nets bent over backwards to please Irving, Durant and Harden and have nothing to show for it. 

Now that another coach killer in Giannis Antetokounmpo is disenfranchised with the direction of the Bucks under Doc Rivers, the Nets need to tread lightly.

The Nets have been listed among the top landing spots for the Greek Freak, but the soon to be 30 year-old with an injury history, certainly presents some risks. 

Marks and company cannot derail what looks to be a promising retooling of the franchise just to please another superstar player. 

So while adding Antetokounmpo to the current mix in Brooklyn would be enticing, the front office and ownership brass needs to ensure that the plan is clear for Fernandez to have as much runway as possible to build a winner in the borough. 



Former Nets coach in mix for Cavs job can reunite with LeVert, Allen



 Kenny Atkinson is a hell of a coach. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant drove him out of town, but the well respected veteran earned himself a ring on Golden State's 2022 Championship team as an assistant. 

Atkinson turned down a job offer from the Charlotte Hornets in 2022 as he's been a little more selective of what kind of roster, front office set up and franchise he's taking over. 

It now appears that Atkinson is in the running for the Cleveland Cavaliers job with JB Bickerstaff handed his walking papers, according to Shams Charania.

 


If Atkinson ultimately becomes the choice, he'll coach two former players that were with him in Brooklyn: Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen. 

Atkinson was able to tap into both players' potential and get the most out of them. 

Unfortunately, the superstar era in Brooklyn saw Atkinson's demise, but the Cavaliers will be getting a high character coach that helps develop young players and creates selfless leaders. 

With Donovan Mitchell's future unclear in Cleveland, the hiring of Atkinson would be a great insurance policy in case they end up losing their franchise player. 


Nets might trade for Cavs guard not named Donovan Mitchell

  


The talk of the NBA world is the future of Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland. Reports have began to surface about Mitchell's rocky relationship with guard Darius Garland. 

According to many media reports, if Mitchell is to consider signing a long-term extension with the Cavaliers, Garland would have to be moved. 

It's unclear Mitchell's intentions at this point and whether the Nets would even be atop his list of trade destinations.  Clearly, if Mitchell has no intentions of signing long-term in Cleveland, his list of suitors will be long. 

Expect the Lakers, Bulls, Nets and Knicks to be chasing his services among many others.

Mitchell will be a free agent after the 2024-25 season and instead of losing him for nothing, Cleveland would opt to move him now for a combination of future draft picks and rotation players. 

While Sean Marks can't get fixated on one player, the move that perhaps makes the most sense for the Nets is trading for a player like Garland. 

Dennis Schröder played well in his short time with the Nets after trade deadline, but Garland is a legitimate top 5-7 point guard in the league.

Marks could consider offloading Simmons' expiring, Dorian Finney-Smith and a sign and trade with Claxton, to net Garland and perhaps even Jared Allen y involving a third team.  

Sean Marks has been creative putting together three team mega deals. 

With the NBA playoffs heating up, Nets fans' attention will be on this summer to see what big moves their GM has under his sleeve. 

Celts beating Cavs means Mitchell to Nets more likely

 


The Brooklyn Nets fanbase is in a tough spot. If it roots for the Boston Celtics to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are one step closer to winning a championship. 

Both players were selected with the draft picks that the Nets sent out to Boston in the trade for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry. 

So that's not an ideal outcome for Brooklyn. The only good byproduct of that, is that Cleveland would face another early playoff round exit and Donovan Mitchell could grow impatient with his lack of supporting cast with the Cavs. 

Mitchell has been a name that has been linked to both the Nets and the Knicks. Mitchell's father was a long-time public relations staffer with the New York Mets and his son still wears his Amazin's fandom on his sleeve. 

A New York homecoming for Mitchell would be a great narrative. However, the logic in joining a rudderless team in a Brooklyn Nets squad after either an Eastern Conference Championship berth or NBA Finals berth wouldn't make much sense. 

So, Nets fans actually need to be Celtic fans if they have any glimmer of hope that Mitchell will leave Cleveland as soon as this off season. 

So rather than losing him for nothing next off-season as he only has one more year on his contract, Cleveland may look to shop Mitchell this summer. 

The Nets would be among many teams. interested in trading for the five-time All-Star and perhaps the favorites with Mikal Bridges and Cam Thomas looking for a true superstar to co-star with.