The Brooklyn Nets made a surprising move, naming Kenny Atkinson as their new head coach despite being linked to high-profile coaches over the past several weeks.
While most fans were surprised of the hiring, Charlotte Hornets point guard Jeremy Lin believes the Nets made a good move, heaping praises for Atkinson, who is an assistant to Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer.
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Lin told New York Post that Atkinson played a big role during his historic run with the Knicks in 2012, saying that the 48-year-old helped him improve a lot during their time together in the Big Apple.
"I mean this guy wakes up at 6 a.m. every morning," Lin said of Atkinson. "I'll text after a game at midnight, one o'clock when I go home, and I'll say, 'Hey, can I look at those turnovers? Can I look at the upcoming team? How they run pick-and-rolls?' And he'll have the film ready when I walk into the facility the next morning."
Atkinson has long served as assistant to high-profile coaches in the past several years. Aside from Budenholzer, the Huntington native also had experience working together with Mike D'Antoni, Mike Woodson and Larry Drew.
He also served as Houston Rockets director of player development in 2007 under then-coach Rick Adelman, who told Sports Talk Atlanta that Atkinson is the best in developing players.
Nets general manager Sean Marks believes Atkinson will lead the Nets to a resurgence in the coming years. Since he was hired to lead the Nets, Marks has made it no secret that player development will be one of his top priorities moving forward.
"We believe that Kenny's core principles, leadership, communication skills and exceptional background in player development make him an ideal fit for the culture we are building in Brooklyn," Marks said of Atkinson in a statement.
The NY Post report also added that Atkinson could make the Nets an attractive destination for high-profile free agents in the offseason because of reputation for developing players.
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