With reports surfacing that Jason Kidd is on his way out, and heading to Milwaukee to serve as a GM of the Bucks, the Nets are again searching for a new head coach.
While losing Kidd, initially might look like a big time blow to the Nets, as free agency is about to kick off in a couple days, there are some more than capable replacements out there. Lets' take a look a few:
Mark Jackson: Former head coach of the Golden State Warriors, who turned that franchise around, taking them to the playoffs for two consecutive seasons. Jackson has New York roots, was a former Nets broadcaster and would bring instant credibility to the table. Plus, he would be a draw to a lot of young players because of his passion for the game, and for the fact that he played the sport not too long ago. I could defiantly see someone like Deron Williams getting along well with Jackson.
George Karl: At 63-years old it's fair to ask if Karl wants to coach again, but he is one of the more successful head coaches in the NBA by far. His .599 winning percentage aside, Karl made winners out of the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics and Denver Nuggets. He coached stars like Gary Payton and Carmelo Anthony, and he'll be a calming force to this transition. The only issue is the fact that he hasn't coached in two plus years.
Lionel Hollins: It is shocking that this guy hasn't gotten a job since leaving the Memphis Grizzlies at the end of the 2012-2013 season. Hollins not only turned around the woeful Grizzlies into a winner, he was there when the team made the transition from playing in Vancouver to Memphis. The Grizzlies were a solid playoff competitor the last three years he was on the job. He even guided them to the West Finals in 2013. This guy should get a job, it's a crime he hasn't yet.
Jeff VanGundy: Because I want to make this article a little longer. Not likely to come out of his TV gig with ESPN, but VanGundy was successful in guiding the Knicks to the Finals way back in 1999. It has been a long time since he last coached in Houston. You have a better chance winning the Mega Millions.
Lawrence Frank: Talk about irony. Frank was all but fired by Kidd in December when the two of them got into a spat over philosophy. The Nets are still paying him a lot of money to sit at home and write "reports," so why not? But in all seriousness, the guy did guide the Nets not too long ago, took them to the playoffs a few times and was moderately successful. But, I think the Nets are looking at bigger fish in this pond.
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