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Who's the Brooklyn Nets next coach? It's all just "speculation" ... for now

By Net Income
Jeff Zelevansky

Here's what one league source says about writers who think they know the identity of the Nets next coach: "They are all speculating with no facts." Here's another: "It's still early."

Indeed there have been a number of reports over the past week suggesting that former Bucks coach Scott Skiles is in the lead position ... or that Lionel Hollins is at the top of Billy King's list. Or Brian Shaw. All that seems certain is that two of the Nets top candidates, Phil Jackson and Doc Rivers won't be available. Jackson took himself out of the running and Rivers agreed to stay in Boston, where he does have three years left on his contract.

Skiles, let go in February by Milwaukee, has been listed as either a leading candidate or the leading candidate by Sam Amick of USA Today; Gary Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (a Bucks beat writer); and Dave D'Alessandro of the Star-Ledger. D'Alessandro caused the biggest stir by writing Friday, "we’re hearing that Scott Skiles is the frontrunner for the Nets job."

Alex Raskin of the Wall Street Journal checked in on the other side Monday...

Later Monday, Peter Vecsey said King has not spoken to anyone other than Jackson ... and explained the leaks.

Perhaps the most sanguine comment was about the lack of pressure on the Nets. There's still time. By virtually everyone's calculus, the Nets job is the best of the six (soon to be seven?) vacancies, none of which have been filled or appear close to being filled. And the NBA Draft is still five weeks away. It would be nice to have a new coach's input at individual workouts, but even those won't start for another week or so.

Besides, Hollins and Shaw are still in the playoffs. Oops, there we go speculating.

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