Report: Lionel Hollins situation 'bears watching' in Brooklyn
Lionel Hollins has watched his team get off to a 2-10 start. Yet, the Nets still seem fully behind their coach, who joined the team before last season.
Hollins certainly isn't without his faults on the bench, but this treacherous start also isn't on him as much as it's on the roster. Anyone who's watched the Nets can notice that within a few moments or plays. So, for now, Hollins is reportedly safe. But, as Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix writes, that's subject to change:
Hollins's situation bears watching. The Nets have been competitive in many of their losses and the front office believes the team is close to turning a corner. Not a run-toward-the-playoffs corner, mind you, but one that gives them a chance to be respectable. But losses are losses and Hollins's far too frequent misuse of Brook Lopez has not gone unnoticed.
The Nets recently hired Randy Ayers as a scout, and though officials insist Ayers is not an emergency replacement for Hollins, there is respect for Ayers's coaching within the organization. Brooklyn has a tough stretch to finish the month: Back-to back with Boston, trips to Oklahoma City and Cleveland and a home date with Detroit. Will Hollins survive that gauntlet? Probably. But the team will need to play much better during a home-heavy schedule in December.
Hollins helped the Nets to a 38-44 record and the No. 8 seed in the East last season. As for his relationship with Brook Lopez, the rockiness has been well-documented. It's not just personal, but on the court, too. Lopez is the offense's clear best player, yet, you'll see stretches where he doesn't get the ball or he gets it in spots that aren't conducive to his best skills.
That's by design. Nay, it's by flawed design, and it's something that's clearly bugged Nets fans for some time now. It's not surprising management would be irked by it, as well.
