(Ever a quote machine, the playboy promised he’d settle down and get married as punishment if the Nets failed to meet that goal.) But the Nets have not yet sniffed a title since, and instead are a franchise in turmoil, firing coach Lionel Hollins and reassigning general manager Billy King after the team’s 10-27 start to the season.
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“It’s clear from our current state of affairs that we need new leadership”.
King was Prokhorov’s first significant hire, and he aggressively attempted to fashion the Nets into a team capable of winning immediately and meeting Prokhorov’s championship edict.
“Obviously we can’t go through the draft with all the things that’s happened in the past, but we can go through free agency, try to lock up some players and try to build that way”, Young said. A swap with Portland for Gerald Wallace cost the Nets the pick that turned into Damian Lillard, and they don’t control their own first-round choice until 2019 thanks to the trade with Boston.
“Our approach helped us to reach three playoffs in a row but we have failed to go further”.
“My own personal opinion is I thought they were playing well”, Stevens said.
King had been GM since 2010, orchestrating high-profile moves that led to just one playoff series victory. Before the 2012-13 season, King gave Deron Williams a five-year, $100 million contract after completing a trade for Joe Johnson and his exorbitant salary. I think he’s the best big – he is the best big in the game.
The Nets’ future is bleak to put it kindly and they need fresh faces. The differences this time around are that Calipari reportedly already has salary demands, and his first time as Nets head coach was such a flop that his ego may require him to fix that mistake and cement his legacy with success at the professional level.
“This is a good start, isn’t it?” laughed Brown, who replaced fired coach Lionel Hollins on Sunday.
“This isn’t my first rodeo, I’ve been here before”, said Young. He said he will compile an extensive list of coaching candidates, but did not confirm nor deny that Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari’s name would appear on that list.
Prokhorov says assistant general manager Frank Zanin will oversee the front office until King’s replacement is hired.
The Nets job could be an interesting situation: they have $45.37 million in salary cap commitments next season, giving them what could be $44 million in cap space this summer.
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Starting the search now, he said, will allow them to work deliberately in finding the person or people who share his vision. “We have everything the best”, Prokhorov said, adding that he is “really optimistic” and “all in”. I’ve seen a lot of different GMs, a lot of different coaches. We worked for Rick Carlisle in Detroit, very tough-minded defensive coach.
