nope! need a coach who will bring in the free agents….
next subject.

^ true.

is this a joke? get JVG or coach K!!!

We don’t know much about free agents relationships with coaches. A big name may not be liked by Wade or James. I also don’t think a big name other than Phil Jackson, age 65, is going to persuade players to move.

Avery Johnson

Maybe Dave Joerger has something to do with Memphis’ success this season?

Well, the Nets wouldn’t be the first D-League team he’s coached.

@Andy
Thorn’s last two picks as coach had only assistant coaching experience. I think it’s a long shot, but Joerger and Boston’s Tom Thibodeau have a lot of supporters in the NBA. All Joerger does is win and he’s only 35.

Maybe some other time but not this time. If Proky is a big spender like people say then he would not be satisfied with a former D-League coach. He would want a proven coach. I prefer Avery Johnson.

Boki may be coming back to NBA.

We have minor league talent… Why not a minor league coach?

@jj
Boki!! to think we passed on him for najera a couple years ago! what are the chances hell come back to the nets?

Joerger would be just like Eric Musselman…a winner in the minor leagues, but not-so-great in the NBA

If Harris is here then A. Johnson will not be here. They had a bad breakup in Dallas.

No assistant coaches… Need a big name to go to BK. I’ll take coach K or JVG. Prefer the latter but whatever.

@ JB – Since WHEN are Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Terrence Williams, and Brook Lopez minor-league talents?

@diehard: let’s not get carried away with some of those names you just listed. not exactly a “who’s who” of NBA success right there. and there are 2 guys on that list that are MUCH closer to minor league than major league at this point.

off topic but it looks like the dreams of dallas handing over a lottery pick are disappearing by the day.

jvg gets my vote as the #1 name we should be persuing. makes a lot of sense on many levels.

Please bring Rick Pitino to the Nets! He wants to be here and is on a mission to end his career as a winner in the NBA. He is an all-time great coach and if he is willing to come on board under a solid GM, this could lead to some truly big things.

@ diehard:

oh I’m sorry, are those guys on a different new jersey nets team that’s not currently 5-52? Because that’s the team I’m talking about here.

Next year’s a different story, but this year… They’re bush league.

JEFF VAN GUNDY! I know he is a weird little guy, but he has wonderful experience and in his own funny way, he has charisma, really. Besides his coaching experience, his couple of years doing the NBA games has given him a really good education about the league. I don’t want to hire a no-name assistant from a below top three or four team. AND I don’t want someone with no coaching experience, even though I personally like Mark Jackson. If he wants to coach, he needs to suck it up and take an assistant job for a couple of years before becoming a head coach. Maybe PATRICK EWING? If Orlando gets to the eastern conf finals versus Cleveland and doesn’t get embarrassed, maybe we give him a shot? He is paying his dues as an assistant now, working for a really good coach in a good organization. Or maybe the defensive assistant from the Celtics? Just please, someone interesting…

@Issac

Pitino, a native New Yorker, would be an appropriate selection to lead the Nets to Brooklyn. Thanks for the suggestion!

JVG
Avery Johnson
Coach K
Patrick Ewing
Mark Jackson
Rick Pitino
Billy Donavan

Anyone but a no name assistant.
We need some sort of recognizable presence on the side line!

I don’t understand why so few people want fratello. It’s mind blowing.

Talking about coaches and players, a big reason D’Antoni was hired in NY is because of LBJ. LBJ thinks very highly of Dantoni

Fratello!!!!!!!

Seems like only yesterday. Lewis Katz the traitor

http://nymag.com/nymag/features/993/

plz miky isnt going to debut his nba franchise with an assistant head coach … rumor has it hes trying to make a big splash asap … and this “assistant” is like a golf ball splash … we need to think more like atom bomb splash!!!
ps. shaun powell had to be real bored today to conjure up this crap!

at Rich:

Yes Katz did let us down big time by selling out to Ratner.

I don’t see why people are so obsessed with getting a “name” coach, what good is a big name with little NBA experience, or who’s had several jobs in the NBA and hasn’t been able to stick. What good is a recognizable presence if he either hasn’t been able to win at the NBA level, or has no NBA experience? I’d rather snatch and up and coming young “wiz kid” than a retread just because people know the retreads name. This guy obviously has experience developing young players and getting them to play to or above their potential.

Also how often has the NCAA to NBA coach transition worked in any sport? Leading a group of kids who’s scholarships you control is EXTREMELY different from leading a group of millionaire adults.

Also I imagine any veteran coach wouldn’t want to come near our team, veteran coaches like Van Gundy are used to working with more experienced NBA teams, they can focus on X’s and O’s because they’re not having to reteach fundamentals. With our current team being so young we need someone who can basically teach them from the ground up, things like moving with the ball, moving towards the ball on passes, before we can ever expect any of them to live up to their potential. Normally teams have a lot of veterans and one or two rookies and they learn from the veterans, but when you’re veterans are like 26 year old Devin Harris, and a bunch of retreads no one really cares about, you need a coach who’s used to having to focus on those things before he even gets to the X’s and O’s. Most NBA head coaches would probably make it like 3 weeks with this current group before their heads exploded from frustration.

i want FRATELLO. i dont know about jvg because he might be another frank and not play any young talent.

if jvg was here now, simmons and battie would be playing and i dont wanna see them. think about it…

I agree with gina. This team NEEDS a teacher. Average age next year will be 23.

@ Paul E. and Jack Handy
Are you guys serious? PATRICK E? Seriously. This guy is nothing but a big man coach. That’s all it is. And Dwight Howard actually makes him look good.
Do you guys remember how bad he was coaching the sophs this year? The guy is a HOF player, but a horrible coach.
If you’re talking about NBA Assistants, please talk about Tom Thibodeau.

I have to give credit to NI for mentioning Tom Thibodeau earlier. The guy has been the best defensive mind in the game for 11 years!!! His teams have finished in the top 10 in defense for 15 out his 19 years in the league!!! After watching the Nets on Tuesday, we need Tom Thibodeau, period.

By the way Tom Thibodeau is curently the Associate HEAD COACH OF THE BOSTON CELTICS

I dont understand why he wasnt hired last summer.

Anyway, there is no chance Pitino will get the job. He DID go around Thorn in an attempt to talk with Prokhorov’s people. It was a clever attempt that offered him deniability. Pitino’s ability has taken a double hit this year: the Cardinals are not doing well and his two All-Americans from last season are not exactly covering themselves with glory in the NBA, to be kind.

bring back BYRON SCOTT!!!!!!!!

as i recall, musselman nearly won NBA coach of the year honors with the warriors. popp down in san antonio won that year, but musselman was second, i believe.

@NI
Make that a triple hit when you consider the blow to his image with the very public sex scandal this past summer.

@ KJV – No thank you to Tom Thibodeau or any other first time coach. Mike Brown please.

@pawley
I did forget and it’s not over. The extortion trial will require him to testify in open court about their relationship.

Prefer a former player with winning coaching experience, preferably a PG, energetic, emphasizes defense and not afraid to tell players when they stink, and will teach the right way.

Another vote for the new Avery Johnson.

If Brown didn’t have Lebron he’d probably be an analyst somewhere to. He’s a pretty mediocre, at best coach.

and @ rick c, yeah I’d say Musselam got a pretty raw deal, he took a team that had been HORRIBLE for years and made them semi respectable, with Golden State, then upper management let all their talent walk, well they let Arenas walk and then traded Jamison, and they got hit hard with injuries and, even with all that he still managed to get them to almost .500, and he was fired. Then he got fired after 1 year in Sacramento, which seems to be a trend with coaches in Sacramento.

@ Gina – They NEVER even won 60 games in a season before he got there until last season, when they won 66 games with a roster that was largely the same as the one at the end of the previous season (I think the only major change was the Mo Williams three – way deal with Milwaukee and Oklahoma City). For anyone to say that was all LeBron is utterly ridiculous and false.

Cousins is a BEAST on ESPN2 Kentucky game.

Dick Vitale gives Wall the edge over Turner for player of the year. No wonder. Vitale telecasts 1/3 of their games, which influences his opinion.

Griz just sent #2 pick Thabeet to D-League!!! Do I hear Bust?

TWill is better than several picks ahead of him.

Z was just bought out.

@ hoopsguy7 – Oh really? I don’t think so.

You could argue cousins worthy top 3 pick

Learn from what works and what doesn’t.

What is working: Mike Woodson (great at being the authority and diagramming plays without yelling), Brown/McMillan/Popovich/Jackson/Sloan (a clear system and a authority figure/personality force), Adelman (offensive genius, authority, good clubhouse), Stan Van Gundy/Scotty Brooks/Mike Brown (have shortcomings but got superstar to play defense, rest of team followed), and Doc Rivers (amazing relationships with players, good defensive system from Thibodeau).

What isn’t working: PJ Carlisemo or any college coach that has a giant ego and yells (it works for 30 games, not 82), Vinny Del Negro (I don’t need to say anything. Just watch the tape), Don Nelson (TOO authoritarian, no defense), Eddie Jordan (great offensive coach, terrible defensively).

I don’t want a big name. I want a coach that can instill a system, hold it together by firm but fair leadership, and get whoever is the alpha dog on the team next year to play defense, and isn’t making a jump to the NBA after many years away. Since no college coaches or recent coaches not named Lawrence Frank (gasp!) fit the bill, I’m all for a good assistant. Thibodeau scares me a little in the Carlisemo way but I’d still take him over a micromanaging Pitino or Avery Johnson anyday.

@ tyminator – Thank you.

bring dave, we are worse than D-league teams, he can make us a little bit better

@ tyminator, Mike Woodsons probably going to be fired after this season, and Rivers was on his way out too until his team brought in two HOFamers to put around Pierce. No one was talking about how great a coach Rivers was when they had all those young players not living up to their potential. It’s a lot easier to look like you know what you’re doing when you have Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.

Fratello, a Hubie Brown clone is my choice, he knows this team inside and out. Can teach these guys to play the game the “Right Way”. Dave Joerger,s resume is impressive, way better than what LFrank came in with. All he does is win. Don’t underestimate that. I also would not mind Boston’s assistant Tom Thibodeau, he deserves a shot as well.

This article is a bunch of speculative crap.

The Hawks are 4th place overall in the east, I doubt that they fire Mike Woodson, who has posted an improved record each season he’s been in charge. They also would be the last team that the Boston Celtics want to see in the playoffs.

Bring in Avery Johnson and get Devin to play defense again!

Or lets bring back Byron Scott! lol.. I doubt that’ll happen but that would be cool.

Anyone who would want Pitino should look at his record with the Celtics and reconsider.

JVG is overrated. He’s a rich mans Frank. He’s not a coach for a rebuilding team. Heck no to him!

I agree with Ryan, I want The Czar! If not, bring back Coach Cal, please! Wouldn’t mind Pitino either.

@ Mr. Dollar Bills, I’ve lived in Georgia for the last 5.5 years, believe me, Woodson has been on thin ice for a very long time. It was only by a miracle that he kept his job last year, the guy just isn’t a very good coach he just got lucky that management brought in pieces and some players started to live up to their potential. Barring a deep play-off run he’s likely gone. Most Hawks fans, and the owners apparently, can’t stand him and think he’s only holding the team back.

Ah, I see.

At least Hawk’s management won’t replace him with an absolute schmuck

@ Mr. Dollar Bills – Their ownership/management is even worse than ours, because while we have NO ownership, theirs is fighting AMONG ITSELF.

@ DiehardNffl, yeah either 1 or 2 years ago at the deadline they could have gotten Amare in a 3 team deal and all it would have cost them was Zaza and their top draft pick, and some expiring contracts of players no one cared about anyway, but the second half of their ownership, who has the right to veto any trade that puts them over the cap or farther over the cap, barred the trade because it would have put them 2 million more over the cap.

I like the Czar and would prefer someone with a track record of good defensive teams. No coach with NBA experience that’s available interests me other than the Czar. Knowing Thorn’s history and knowledge of the game I think he will select a guy most people don’t know like Joerger. My bet is Proky’s “splash” will be on the court not on the sidelines thou don’t count out a Russian assistant. With Proky on board Thorn will run things on a short leash and will be forced to show great improvement fast otherwise, Proky will clean house and do it his way. Proky will be like Steinbrenner in his early years. The more I see Kentucky the more I feel that Cousins might be the best one on his team and in the top 3 of best big men in college.

Yeah, I remember when they had serious internal strife about the Joe Johnson sign and trade, I thought that issue was settled a long time ago.

@ Mr. Dollarbills, they tried to resolve it, one of the owners agreed to be bought out, the one against the Johnson trade, but then they couldn’t agree on how to value his shares, or who should determine how to value his shares. And then he instead tried to buy them out, please don’t ask me how or where that came from all I know is they ended up in court with him suing to gain total rights, but a judge ruled against him so now they’re back to trying to buy him out and as of Feb 21st they were all still at odds with no real end in sight.

@ diehardNFFLbarnone
Mike Brown? How is Mike Brown coming to the Nets? I’m fine with you saying no to Thibodeau, although i do believe he is the best out there, but Mike Brown? How?

@ KJV – Prokhorov could always offer the Cavs draft picks and cash.

Fair points on Woodson. At least the players have developed under him. I just don’t like the look of the college coach/fired pro coach pool right now. JVG is decent but I’d rather take a chance on a good assistant who’s good at developing players in a system and getting them to play defense. Sadly, I don’t think that will happen.