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Jason Kidd was in search of more power in Brooklyn and it caused some complications with the front office. After allowing him to talk with the Milwaukee Bucks, Kidd made the move and became the head coach of the Bucks.
After Kidd left, the Nets were in search of a head coach that would help bring them back to the playoffs and contend for the championship. They quickly began talks with Lionel Hollins, former Memphis Grizzlies coach. After a couple of meetings, they officially announced him as head coach. They signed a four-year deal worth around $20 million.
Lionel Hollins was a great sign for the Brooklyn Nets, seeing as he was one of the biggest names in the coaching pool after being dropped by the Grizzlies. He brings a lot of coaching experience to Brooklyn. In Memphis, he focused on defense and helped them become one of the best defenses in the league. That’s one of the major reasons he will thrive with Brooklyn.
During his four years in Memphis, defense was the area he helped turn around the most. When he began his helm with the Grizzlies for the 2009-2010 season, they ended up ranking 19th in the league as far as defense went. The following year, they moved up to the 9th best defense. For the 2011-2012 season, they made it up to the 7th best defense. In his last year with them, the 2012-2013 season, they finished with the 2nd best defense in the league.
Hollins may not have the prettiest approach to coaching, but it brings results with him. In 2013, they had a playoff run that ended in the Western Conference Finals when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs. Even without Hollins coaching last year, the Memphis Grizzlies kept his defensive schemes throughout the year. That brought them within a game of upsetting the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.
If the veteran players on the Nets remain there, his defensive-first style will see great results for the team. They have the pieces to make the offense work well, so focusing on defense will make them a strong overall team.
With Hollins now in the head coach spot, he will need to do everything he can to keep the Nets’ free agents in Brooklyn. He has already made statements that should do just that.
After already losing Shaun Livingston to the Golden State Warriors, the Nets will need to focus on keeping both Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett on their roster. After Kidd left, Pierce has brought in a lot of outside interest. Teams like the Clippers, Blazers, Grizzlies, Bulls, Mavericks and Rockets have all shown interest in Pierce. This puts the Nets in a tricky situation. Pierce brings the Nets great offensive power, a lot of fire and very valuable leadership.
Not to mention, Pierce could also be the player keeping Garnett from leaving or retiring. Garnett has one year left under his contract. He will most likely be looking for one last big pay day or chose to leave his last year and retire from the league. Without Pierce and Garnett, the Nets will have difficulties getting back to the playoffs.
The Nets would be left with Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez. Although it’s a great trio to lean on, they haven’t brought a title. Hollins will need to prove that they can make everything work and put together a strategy that will appeal to everyone.
In a statement from Hollins, he said “My goal offensively is to get a lot more ball movement, a lot more side to side penetration.” This would attract Pierce and Garnett to stay, being aging veterans who aren’t too effective in transition as much as they used to be. A paced offense will help them be more effective throughout a game. It will also appeal to Williams, who has been highly injury-prone recently.
In addition to that, Hollins also has experience with making two good big-men work in his schemes. In Memphis, he had to make Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph work side-by-side. He put together an offensive scheme to make them very efficient on that side of the court.
There is no doubt that bringing in a veteran coach with a lot of experience will help restore the order in Brooklyn. It will help keep the veterans in Brooklyn and will also appeal to the rest of the roster. It will get the team excited and anxious to work on a new strategy in hopes to be high contenders for a championship.
Getting rid of Kidd was a good move for the Nets. They don’t need a coach to clash with the front office over control and power. Hollins most definitely won’t bring that. This will help secure the team long-term and will prove as an upgrade from Kidd.
Don’t get me wrong, Hollins did clash with Memphis’ front office near the end of his time there. However, it wasn’t over power. It was more geared towards analytics. He never once tried to abuse his power in Memphis. It just proved to be a bad fit for Memphis and Hollins. That isn’t the case for Brooklyn.
Brooklyn has been prepared to spend more. They have turned into a big market and have more resources than they once had in New Jersey. The Nets are prepared, as well as proud, to back his strategies, schemes and methods. That couldn’t be said when he was in Memphis.
Hollins stated “I’m in a great city for winning, for generating revenue.” He continued with saying, “And I’m grateful to God.” That feeling should be mutual for Brooklyn. They definitely hit a home-run with landing Hollins and they should feel both grateful and happy to have him on board.
After the shocking leave of Kidd, Hollins will bring stable and steady hands to Brooklyn and will help them keep their high hopes in store. He will also help minimize collateral damage.
To firmly answer the question, Hollins is most definitely the guy for Brooklyn. He fits the resume for Brooklyn more than anyone else in the coaching market.
Good analysis. JKidd was like a typical artist type: inspired, creative, got some results, but also volatile prone to leaving a mess, as he did with the Nets. The exchange of Livingston for Jack will help the Nets. Kidd was practically obsessed with Livingston, but Livingston was limited, unable to shoot beyond 15 feet, and needed to be in the lane to get his shot off. That is a big problem for a backcourt player and gums up the lane and the general floor spacing. Now, with Lopez back and Jack, Teletovic, Williams, Johnson, Bogdanovic, and Kuraysev (forget about Pierce, they don’t need him), the Nets will have a true outside/inside game with more than enough outside firepower.