Brooklyn Nets: Reaction To Kenny Atkinson Coaching Rank

Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson comes in the middle of the pack in the NBA head coach power rankings; do you agree with where he finished?

The Brooklyn Nets are closing in the start of a new era. The shift in power began changing last season when Sean Marks was named the general manager; now he has his new head coach in Kenny Atkinson.

Atkinson is a new voice and leader for the downtrodden franchise that has struggled since moving to Brooklyn. There were high expectations when Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov took over, but the Nets have come up woefully short. The decision to go into win-now mode with Billy King running the show has backfired, and now it is up to Marks and Atkinson to turn things around.

The Nets will be Atkinson’s first head coaching job, as he has received praise as an assistant previously. He knows what it takes to succeed in New York, as he was with the New York Knicks staff from 2008-2012 and the Atlanta Hawks from 2012-2016.

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Atkinson will look to channel some of that success from his Knicks tenure as he had a part in Linsanity with Jeremy Lin. Lin credits Atkinson for helping cause the phenomenon and is ready to repeat that success; Lin signed with the Nets as a free agent this summer and is poised to take over the starting point guard spot.

Will Atkinson be able to rekindle some of that magic he had with Lin during their first time together? How will he handle the losses that are expected to pile up after being on the staff of one of the winningest teams in the Eastern Conference the past few seasons?

It is just a few of the things to keep an eye on as Atkinson readies himself for his first head coaching job. Will he be able to help turn the culture around in Brooklyn and make the Nets back into a respectable franchise?

The writers over at Sir Charles In Charge believe that he can. In their NBA head coach power rankings, Atkinson comes in at a very respectable 18th place; that’s some solid praise for someone with no head coaching experience in the NBA.

Here is what they had to say about Atkinson:

"You may not know the name Kenny Atkinson yet, but there’s a good chance you will by the end of the season. Perhaps not because the Brooklyn Nets will be the surprise of the NBA, but because of the job that he will do in Brooklyn.During the last four years, prior to getting hired by the Nets, Atkinson was the assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks, learning under Mike Budenholzer. That’s not a bad place to be, considering that Budenholzer learned under Gregg Popovich.Even though Atkinson is in a bit of a tough spot, simply by looking at the roster, look for him to only move up this list."

This is a homecoming of sorts for Atkinson, who grew up on Long Island, playing for St. Anthony’s high school in Huntington and growing up in Northport. He should have some motivation to get a hometown team up off the ground after some rough seasons.

While the team is short on high-level talent, with Brook Lopez the only true bonafide All-Star talent, Atkinson will get these guys to work hard. Spirits are high within in the organization as players are encouraged with the new culture that is being built.

While there may not be many wins in the early going, things are looking up in Brooklyn. Atkinson will be in the middle of that resurgence; seeing him move up the coaches power ranking list wouldn’t surprise anyone.

Next: What are the 5 biggest games on the Nets schedule?

The Nets are trying to rebuild and have a perfect man for the job in Atkinson to get it done.

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