Putting the pieces together from around the web today on the Brooklyn Nets coaching search:
- Billy King: “It was a difficult decision, and we talked about it, but looking at the long-term and the future of this organization, I felt it was best to look elsewhere to try and find the right fit. I thanked him, he did a hell of a job for us in a difficult situation, but by doing it now, there’s a lot of jobs open — hopefully it gives P.J. a chance and gives us a chance with a lot of candidates out there to explore and that’s what we’ll do in the next couple weeks.”
- King added that Phil Jackson will get a call. The only person King would rule out? His former coach at Duke, Mike Krzyzewski, joking that he didn’t want to anger his alumni base.
- Jeff Van Gundy to Barbara Baker on the Nets opening: “My comment is I have no comment. Good to see you, though.”
- David Aldridge: Larry Brown, the Van Gundy brothers, and Phil Jackson — but Phil doesn’t want a coaching role.
- Deron Williams would “love” to play for Jerry Sloan again.
- More Deron Williams: he’d like a “creative offensive coach.”
- The Nets have not reached out to Brian Shaw, thanks to an unwritten NBA rule: you don’t ask during the playoffs. Shaw is one of my favorite candidates for the job.
- Shaw has no head coaching experience at the NBA level, which could be an issue for Williams and Reggie Evans, who both say the team needs an experienced head coach, but not for Billy King, who cited Eric Spoelstra and Tom Thibodeau as examples of first-time coaches who found success.
