The Brooklyn Nets are 10-27 to start the year. This is the second worst record in the East, only Philadelphia is worse. On Sunday, the Nets decided to fire Head Coach Lionel Hollins. According to ESPN, Nets Owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in a statement, “It’s clear from our current state of affairs that we need new leadership, with the right basketball management and coach in place, we are going to create a winning culture and identity and give Brooklyn a team that it can be proud of and enjoy watching.” Was this the right decision?
The Nets hired Lionel Hollins on July 1st, 2014. He had been the Memphis Grizzlies Head Coach from 2008 to 2013 and made the playoffs three seasons. Brooklyn was hoping his head coaching experience would lead them into the playoffs and maybe bring a championship back to Brooklyn.
Last season the Nets were 38-44. They made the playoffs as an 8 seed and faced the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. Atlanta would take the series in 6 games. This year the Nets were hoping not only to make the playoffs, but go further than the first round. Brooklyn hasn’t looked like a playoff team. They are 9.5 games back of the 8th and final playoff spot in the East. Mikhail Prokhorov feels the season is slipping away. This move should have occurred weeks ago because they might have had an opportunity to make the NBA playoffs. The Nets now are playing for a lottery pick.
The Nets are making the wrong decision. Sure the season isn’t playing out like they had hoped, but they were a playoff team last year. Hollins is a highly regarded head coach who will be coaching again in this league. Hollins has one and half years left on his deal. The Nets should have let him continue coaching until the end of the year and possibly the start of next year. If they were playing poor basketball then fire him.
Hollins will be a highly sought-out coach because of his NBA experience. It might be this summer when he will receive job offers. If not he could take a year off from basketball and then coach again in the 2016-2017 season.
What do you think of the Nets firing Lionel Hollins?
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