The Nets and Kenny Atkinson part ways

[Born_Ready]

I guess the first interview or audition is Jacque Vaughn. Let's see what he can do down the stretch.

I was pissed this morning because I am big fan of the recent released coach. But, I'm good, because I know his next team will already incorporate a talented roster that lacks and needs his fitting tutledge. Therefore, I want the best for this organization and hope there aren't anymore schisms the rest of the way. The franchise has journeyed too far to wreck it all for nothing.

[MrDollarBills]

Also, I think we need to dial back some of the conjecture.

We don't know what happened really. We don't know who has been in ownerships ear, if KD and Kyrie had any say, nothing. I refuse to heap blame on any player without substantial evidence.

It sucks. I was a big Kenny guy and I wanted to see what he could do with the full roster.

If however, someone like Ty Lue, who is basically a yes man, or a dinosaur like Mark Jackson is brought in I will have serious questions about the direction of this franchise.

Also, don't hold your breath thinking that Coach Pop is coming here.

[DarkXaero]

I'm just reading rumors out there that Tsai was going behind Marks back and talking to players about Kenny for awhile now.

Marks might be gone next. Tsai might wind up being the second coming of James Dolan smh.

I wouldn’t buy into that only because it seems like Kenny’s stubbornness on analytics might’ve cost him the job.

I think Marks is still firmly in a good place here under ownership but I think it’s very realistic to believe Kenny and Sean began to have creative differences on the future of the offense and end of game strategy.

It’s nothing short term that led up to this. This was something Marks claimed they’ve went “back and forth” on before so I’d assume they had “hypothetical” plans of how to incorporate two superstars into this current system and the lack of success offensively and inconsistent effort probably didn’t help the cause and I pretty much think the benching of Prince broke the camels back. I thought it was an odd move tbh but I totally understood it.

Taurean Prince deserved to be demoted. He has been terrible.

Honestly I still don't know what to make of this but clearly something has been going on and it may not have anything to do with Kyrie, but the media and fans have already made up their minds.

This season is a disaster. We can officially say it now. A complete disaster

I think there was only one person who was in complete denial about that. He'll still probably find a way to deny it.

[MrDollarBills]

I wouldn’t buy into that only because it seems like Kenny’s stubbornness on analytics might’ve cost him the job.

I think Marks is still firmly in a good place here under ownership but I think it’s very realistic to believe Kenny and Sean began to have creative differences on the future of the offense and end of game strategy.

It’s nothing short term that led up to this. This was something Marks claimed they’ve went “back and forth” on before so I’d assume they had “hypothetical” plans of how to incorporate two superstars into this current system and the lack of success offensively and inconsistent effort probably didn’t help the cause and I pretty much think the benching of Prince broke the camels back. I thought it was an odd move tbh but I totally understood it.

Taurean Prince deserved to be demoted. He has been terrible.

Honestly I still don't know what to make of this but clearly something has been going on and it may not have anything to do with Kyrie, but the media and fans have already made up their minds.

This season is a disaster. We can officially say it now. A complete disaster

I think there was only one person who was in complete denial about that. He'll still probably find a way to deny it.

I can't lie, today has made me very nervous about what's happening. It seems so messy.

Based on LeVert's comments, he wasn't one of the guys that pushed to get Kenny fired. I believe him.

[ProspectPark]

“Kevin Durant has high praise for the Kings and Dave Joerger”
Dec 2018

https://www.sactownroyalty.com/2018/12/13/18139504/kevin-durant-has-high-praise-for-the-kings-and-dave-joerger

[gigantes]

Watching Marks' press conference was crucial in settling me down. I'm still sad and upset, but that's life.

I think the key to understanding all this is that Kenny himself was evidently the one who felt the need to go as much as anyone else. It's just as much that he dumped the Nets as 'the Nets dumped him.' If he still wanted to be coaching here, he probably would be.

Parting ways now doesn't make sense from a narrative standpoint, but I can see the sense in Kenny de-stressing in preparation for his next gig, and I can see the sense in a 20-game experiment in Vaughn.

This isn't a happy day, but it sounds very much like this parting was going to happen no matter what. And now we have oodles of time to make the best possible coaching decision. It'll probably work out okay, and I don't remotely expect a drooling idiot like Mark Jackson to be hired. :P

[DarkXaero]

Taurean Prince deserved to be demoted. He has been terrible.

Honestly I still don't know what to make of this but clearly something has been going on and it may not have anything to do with Kyrie, but the media and fans have already made up their minds.

This season is a disaster. We can officially say it now. A complete disaster

I think there was only one person who was in complete denial about that. He'll still probably find a way to deny it.

I can't lie, today has made me very nervous about what's happening. It seems so messy.

Based on LeVert's comments, he wasn't one of the guys that pushed to get Kenny fired. I believe him.

Yeah, I think it's very reasonable to feel that way, this has come out of nowhere. If this was weeks/months in the making, then it's just proof of how air tight Marks runs things, because nothing got leaked to the media, except Stephen A Smith randomly saying that Kenny's job wasn't safe a few days ago.

And Dinwiddie said the same thing, none of them are gonna come out and say that they got Kenny fired. It's hard to say for sure what went on, but I think if Marks didn't agree with the decision, then it wouldn't have happened.

[NyCeEvO]

There’s a ton of speculation and hypothesizing going on in this thread with very little reliable information to base it on.

First, I want to thank Kenny for his service here. I didn’t think Kenny was perfect but I totally did not expect him to be fired.

Second, I know the Nets like to be secretive to a fault (e.g. almost never giving timetables for players return from injury) but this is huge. The fanbase deserves a better explanation, (unless there are legal issues involved).

We need to know why the Nets thought it was best to let Kenny leave right now as opposed to the end of the season.

The season can’t be saved. Our two best players are out for the season. Outside of a colossal collapse, we’re a 7th or 8th seed.

What difference does it make to fire him now? It’s baffling.

[Paradise]

Quite honestly, this could go both ways but I get the idea this is our Kidd for Budenholzer moment or Casey to Nurse.

I think after ultimately spending all day thinking about it. The only two things that could’ve resulted into such a change is differences in offense structure with a healthy Kyrie and KD and the belief he can coach a contender. A real winner.

[gigantes]

...What difference does it make to fire him now? It’s baffling.

In the context of his evident months-long period of frustration, I think it makes sense.

No sense sticking around in a hopeless situation if one can avoid it.

Also, a 20-game test for Vaughn isn't ideal, but it could help reveal some things.

[LOUiS-D]

I'm heartbroken.

[LOUiS-D]

Watching Marks' press conference was crucial in settling me down. I'm still sad and upset, but that's life.

I think the key to understanding all this is that Kenny himself was evidently the one who felt the need to go as much as anyone else. It's just as much that he dumped the Nets as 'the Nets dumped him.' If he still wanted to be coaching here, he probably would be.

Parting ways now doesn't make sense from a narrative standpoint, but I can see the sense in Kenny de-stressing in preparation for his next gig, and I can see the sense in a 20-game experiment in Vaughn.

This isn't a happy day, but it sounds very much like this parting was going to happen no matter what. And now we have oodles of time to make the best possible coaching decision. It'll probably work out okay, and I don't remotely expect a drooling idiot like Mark Jackson to be hired.

I dunno. Sometimes I think people like Kenny can be too earnest and place too much of a burden of responsibility on themselves. Obviously this is speculation, but I think what he needs is someone to put full confidence in him and talk him off the ledge everyone now and then. I care more about the continuity of the team than championships. We've done the coaching carousel. In my uninformed opinion Kenny was good enough to ride or die with. It was way too early for him to fall on his sword.

Ah well.

[clo12345]

This really stings. Kenny was a great coach and an even better person. I do believe this was a mutual decision, this team is not playing like it did last year, injuries aside. Kenny probably sensed that he was losing respect. Blame it on the players, we don't know since were not in the locker room.

I trust Marks will find the right replacement (gtfo with Lue and Mark Jackson)

[Keith Van Horn]

Unless something gets revealed I doubt it’s Spencer. Kenny let him do whatever he wanted out there for the most part.

I have no doubt Din been involved as well. I know it's hard to believe because he had great success under Kenny but he's also close with Kyrie. Don't underestimate Kyrie here, he just got elected to NBAPA with Temple already in it.

It’s possible no doubt. But it’s hard to see it being him. I can see Kyrie and KD with maybe guys like Chandler, Temple, Prince and Kurucs wanting Kenny gone.

If management is listening to SCRUBS like Prince and Temple, we're going down a big, dark, long hole.

I've been furious all day at this news. I still can't wrap my head around it.

[FrenchNBAFan]

**** this ****

All the things that made me a Nets Fan are gone.

[LOUiS-D]

I find it pretty fken suspect that Din had 2 2pt field goal attempts and got to the line ONCE while hoisting 0 for 7 from 3 in that Memphis game, 1 game after he's benched for Chiozza in the 4th in a comeback victory.

I respect din. I think he's a smart, dude. Sometimes I think he lacks perspective and wisdom and I think he does **** that his future self would lovingly slap the **** out of him for.

Like I don't think he's a guy who the organisation would change directions on this magnitude for. But I think he is a guy that would get in other players ears and lobby for what he thinks is best.

Obviously all speculation.

[FrenchNBAFan]

Read on Twitter

Can we go back to these moments?

[MrDollarBills]

The optics of this look TERRIBLE.

Zach Lowe is stating that there were issues surrounding DeAndre Jordan coming off the bench for Jarrett Allen that led to Kenny getting fired. Now I'll be blunt, I think Jarrett's play has been inconsistent, but if that has something to do with Kenny's firing I really am losing confidence in how successful we will be with KD, Kyrie, and DJ if drama is going to be happening and guys aren't willing to make sacrifices.

We look bad right now. Like seriously bad.

[Keith Van Horn]

Sad day all around as a Nets fan. We better get some more clarity on this asap.
I agree with MDB too. This season has been a complete failure. And let me add just not fun at all. I was on such a high last year. This year has felt like a turd of a season. Sorry.

[MrDollarBills]

Watching Marks' press conference was crucial in settling me down. I'm still sad and upset, but that's life.

I think the key to understanding all this is that Kenny himself was evidently the one who felt the need to go as much as anyone else. It's just as much that he dumped the Nets as 'the Nets dumped him.' If he still wanted to be coaching here, he probably would be.

Parting ways now doesn't make sense from a narrative standpoint, but I can see the sense in Kenny de-stressing in preparation for his next gig, and I can see the sense in a 20-game experiment in Vaughn.

This isn't a happy day, but it sounds very much like this parting was going to happen no matter what. And now we have oodles of time to make the best possible coaching decision. It'll probably work out okay, and I don't remotely expect a drooling idiot like Mark Jackson to be hired.

Brooklyn Nets players felt as though Kenny Atkinson lost a section of the locker room, reported Ian Begley and Corey Hersch of SNY.

Atkinson and the Nets agreed to part ways on Saturday morning.

Sean Marks said that Atkinson admitted to him that his voice wasn't resonating like it once did.

"There wasn't one game, an event of games (that led to the firing). This was a culmination of events over the course of the year. Kenny is brutally honest, and the humility he showed to say he'll admit, 'My voice is not what it once was here. It's time' (was remarkable)," said Marks.

Marks added that discussions over Atkinson's future had been on-going over the past couple months.

"It was after deliberation with Kenny over the course of the last two or three months. They were ongoing. I can't really put a time on it. We decided that if there was an opportunity for a change and put the Nets in a better place, whether that was personnel on the court or any one of us, we would have that honest conversation."