Once Rod Thorn let it be known that he was departing the Nets scene, it became obvious that a vacuum existed. Into it, stepped man whose short stature belies the scale of his ambitions.
Increasingly, Avery Johnson looks to be the main power broker in Netsland.
Tara Sullivan of the Record describes Johnson as "a man of deep influence, not only for player selection, but in the hiring of incoming GM Billy King, who will be introduced at a news conference today. Insiders quickly are noticing the force Johnson can be."
Ken Berger of CBS Sports isn't sure it's a good thing. "[Johnson] is calling the shots and wants a figurehead GM to execute his personnel decisions, the way King did for Larry Brown in Philly." He quotes a source saying "He's got the Russians loving him. They think he walks on water." As Mikhail Prokhorov told NetsDaily, Johnson is a "killer coaching coach".
- Nets, Avery Johnson not happy as a runner-up - Tara Sullivan - The Record
- Weber's decision to fire GM hurts Hornets, alienates Paul - Ken Berger - CBS Sports
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Nets hire Billy King as new GM (Video) - Gary Apple - SNY