The Brooklyn Nets last night fired head coach Lionel Hollins, while general manager Billy King will be reassigned following a miserable campaign at the Barclays Centre.
Hollins, who was appointed in 2014 and finishes with a 48- 71 record, has been replaced by assistant coach Tony Brown for the rest of the season, while the general manager position will remain open.
Brooklyn currently sit second-to-bottom in the Eastern Conference with a 10-27 record, which is the third-worst in the entire NBA.
“After careful consideration, I’ve concluded that it’s time for a fresh start and a new vision for the direction of the team,” Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in a statement released by the team.
“By making this decision now, it enables our organisation to use the rest of the season to diligently evaluate candidates with proven track records. It’s clear from our current state of affairs that we need new leadership. With the right basketball management and coach in place, we are going to create a winning culture and identity and give Brooklyn a team that it can be proud of and enjoy watching.”
King was hired as general manager in 2010 and in his five-plus seasons with the organisation, the team has managed a winning record twice – in 2012-13 and 2013-14. He’s also had a hand in crippling the Net’s immediate future through the blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics in 2013, which sent unprotected first-round draft picks in 2014, 2016 and 2018, along with the right to swap first-rounders in 2017, for veterans Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
Pierce, now of the LA Clippers, spent one season in Brooklyn before leaving via free agency and Garnett was traded last year to Minnesota for Thaddeus Young.
