Lionel Hollins Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Reactions To Nets Shakeup

January 10th, 2016 at 2:01pm CST by Will Joseph

Former Nets coach Lionel Hollins told Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com (ESPN Now link) that he received a call from former GM Billy King, who was reassigned today, telling him that he had been let go, but expressed gratitude nonetheless. Hollins, as Mazzeo points out, still has one and a half years left on his contract.

“I’m thankful to Billy and Mikhail [Prokhorov] and Dmitry [Razumov] for the opportunity to have coached the Nets,” Hollins told Mazzeo. “I’m disappointed to where it didn’t work out to where we didn’t have playoff success and fans weren’t celebrating in the streets of Brooklyn.”

Here is more news and reactions to Brooklyn’s decision to fire Hollins and reassign King:

Nets assistant GM Frank Zanin will be retained, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reports (on Twitter). Zanin has been involved with most of the day-to-day team business, including trade talks, according to Mannix.
Still, it’s unclear who would be answering the phones if a team called regarding trade talk, Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post hears after speaking with multiple sources (Twitter link).
While the timing of the moves was surprising to some, considering how close the trade deadline is, some executives around the league were always surprised King was able to keep his job with Brooklyn for as long as he did, Ian Begley of ESPN.com passes along (on Twitter).
Nets CEO Brett Yormark, who is reportedly enamored with John Calipari, is someone who is having his voice heard more now within the organization, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News tweets.
Tom Thibodeau would be an ideal fit as the next coach for the Nets because of his ability to maximize players’ talents on defense, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News writes in a list of top candidates to replace Hollins. Thibodeau is seen as a logical choice for other potential openings and will come at a hefty price, Deveney adds. Among other names Deveney mentions as top candidates are: Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy and Patrick Ewing.
Prokhorov did not like Hollins’ public criticism of players, NetsDaily tweets.
Former Hawks GM Danny Ferry, who interviewed with the Nets before the job went to King, is still unemployed and has some baggage, but it’s worth noting his father, Bob, is a Nets scout, Bondy tweets.

Nets Fire Lionel Hollins, Reassign Billy King

January 10th, 2016 at 11:10am CST by Arthur Hill

Kelley L Cox / USA Today Sports Images

The Nets have fired coach Lionel Hollins and reassigned GM Billy King to another job in the organization, the team announced today. Assistant Tony Brown has been named interim head coach, while the GM position will remain open for now.

“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. “By making this decision now, it enables our organization 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. We have learned a great deal during the past six years and our experiences will guide us for the future. Following the consolidation of team ownership last month, I can assure you that I’m more determined and committed than ever to build a winner.”

Hollins spent a year and a half as Brooklyn’s coach, compiling a 48-71 record. The Nets currently have the third-worst record in the league at 10-27. King was in his sixth season as GM after being named to the position in July of 2010. There are no immediate plans to fill the GM role, posts Mike Mazzeo of ESPN. While King has been officially “reassigned,” he won’t be making basketball decisions going forward, writes Andy Vasquez of NorthJersey.com. With about six week left before the trade deadline, it’s unclear who will be responsible for those decisions, Vasquez tweets.

“I want to thank Billy for his hard work in the development of the Nets,” Prokhorov said. “At every step of the way, he has been aggressive in his quest to build a winning team and has been a key factor toward the Nets making the playoffs for each of the last three seasons. Beyond this, he has been a tremendous friend, wonderful colleague, and loyal partner and we wish him success in the future. I also want to thank Lionel for his efforts and dedication on behalf of the Nets franchise. To our fans, I thank you for your continued enthusiasm and support and please know that brighter days are ahead. I’m excited to begin the process of choosing the best GM and head coach available.”

The moves expose chaos within the Nets, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. He says nearly everyone in the organization learned of the actions through a news release. A team insider called the moves “face-saving,” according to a story by NetsDaily.com.

King joined the team as GM in the summer of 2010, and the team has won just a single playoff series since. His contract is set to expire at season’s end. A report, later denied, surfaced earlier this week from Europe indicating that Prokhorov wants CSKA Moscow team president Andrey Vatutin as the club’s next GM. CEO Brett Yormark is reportedly enamored with John Calipari.

The Nets hired Hollins in the summer of 2014 shortly after the departure of Jason Kidd for the Bucks. He went 48-71 with Brooklyn during the regular season over a season and a half, and the Nets fell in six games to the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs last year.

Atlantic Notes: Hollins, Stevens, Lopez

December 12th, 2015 at 1:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Nets coach Lionel Hollins seemingly turned a compliment Stephen Curry gave point guard Jarrett Jack into a negative, Fred Kerber of The New York Post writes. Responding to Curry’s praise of Jack’s vocal leadership when the two were teammates in Golden State, Hollins said, “Did Stephen Curry say it? When Stephen Curry speaks, everybody listens … so it must be right. I see the same thing. Here’s the deal. Too much is made of leadership. Everybody should be a leader on the court.”

“Leadership comes by you going out there and doing your job to the best of your ability as hard as you can consistently. You do that, people are going to follow you. Then the great players lead by their ability to score the ball, and people follow them because they know that they can help them win,” Hollins continued. “The worst kind of leadership is that ‘Rah-rah, come on, everybody.’ To me, that’s just annoying people. I think leadership is like, ‘OK, somebody’s missed two or three, don’t worry about it, I got you, I’m going to come back to you again.’”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The strong play of Knicks rookie big man Kristaps Porzingis may force coach Derek Fisher to shift center Robin Lopez to the bench, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Lopez, who has struggled this season after signing a four-year, $54MM deal this past summer, notes his slow start is due to adjusting to the triangle offense, Berman notes. “Defensively, that’s been pretty consistent,’’ Lopez said. “I’ve always been able to fall back on that. Offensively I’m trying to figure things out. How much I’m expected to score? What am I expected to do when I catch the ball in the post? Now I’m getting more comfortable, starting to realize what the role is.’’
Brad Stevens has molded the Celtics into one of the NBA’s toughest defensive teams despite the lack of a true rim-protector, Brett Koremenos of RealGM writes in his analysis of the team’s improvement.

Atlantic Notes: Hollins, Hinkie, Johnson

December 9th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Nets GM Billy King denied a report that he’s seeking a replacement for coach Lionel Hollins, though he appeared hesitant to make any long-term promises about the coach, observes Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

“It’s funny because I think the report said it was management — and I’m management. So there was no truth to that,’’ King said to Sarah Kustok of the YES Network, as Lewis transcribes. “I’ve talked to ownership, and — right now — Lionel is our coach and we’re working to try to turn this around.”

King also told Kustok that the Nets would explore making roster moves but that the team would give the current roster a chance “until we can find another option,” notes Andy Vasquez of The Record. See more on the Nets amid the latest from the Atlantic Division:

Brook Lopez, who re-signed with the Nets on a three-year max deal this past summer, called for stability, as Lewis relays in his piece. “We’re working on something here and we’ve had turnover year in and year out since I’ve been here. It’s tough to find continuity if you keep changing personnel,’’ Lopez said. “We have to find something that’s working for us and continue to work with the pieces we have and improve.’’
Sam Hinkie is still Sixers GM, but the addition of Jerry Colangelo to the front office depletes his power to the point that it’s as if he’s not there anymore, a source told Tom Moore of Calkins Media. “It’s clear [Hinkie] has, for all intents and purposes, been fired,” the source said, adding that he believes Colangelo’s son Bryan Colangelo, who was once GM of the Suns and Raptors, will be involved. League executives who spoke with Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer cast doubt on the idea that Hinkie will stay with the organization much longer.
Amir Johnson‘s positive personality, as well as his defensive versatility, are what make the Celtics offseason signee especially valuable, coach Brad Stevens said, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald relays.

Nets Seek Replacement For Lionel Hollins?

December 7th, 2015 at 1:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

1:11pm: Ownership and management both denied to NetsDaily that the team is looking to replace the coach. Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com also hears from team officials who say Hollins’ job isn’t in jeopardy (Twitter link). Hollins was matter-of-fact when asked about the idea that he might be in trouble, as The Record’s Andy Vasquez relays (All Twitter links).

“The seat is always hot,” Hollins said. “It was hot when I sat in it for the first time.”

11:00am: The Nets have begun to look for someone to replace coach Lionel Hollins, and the team will let him go once it finds his successor, a source within the Russian-owned team tells Andrei Kartashov of Russia’s TASS News agency (translation via Alexander Chernykh of the Rush’N Hoops blog). NetsDaily reports the story is being denied (Twitter link), presumably by their own sources within the Nets organization. Brooklyn is 5-15 with no incentive to continue losing, since the team owes its first-round pick to the Celtics.

Conflicting reports also came out in January about Hollins’ job security, just months after he took over the team, though GM Billy King said Hollins was safe and that he liked his demanding approach. The coach had already begun to improve his working relationship with Brook Lopez, who re-signed with the Nets over the summer after resurgent play in the second half of the season, and owner Mikhail Prokhorov complimented Hollins at season’s end. Team officials denied that the recent hiring of Randy Ayres as a scout was a move to make him the team’s coach-in-waiting.

Brooklyn signed Hollins in the summer of 2014 to a four-year deal that reportedly could be worth as much as $20MM if the Nets pick up their team option on the final year. The Nets have had four different head coaches since the start of the 2012/13 season.

Atlantic Notes: Joseph, McHale, D-League

November 19th, 2015 at 3:47pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Cory Joseph has exceeded all expectations that the Raptors had for him when they inked him to a four-year, $30MM deal this offseason, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca writes. “When you do these things, you try to get good players and you try to figure out,” said GM Masai Ujiri of Joseph. “You do your scouting, you do your analytics, and you try to figure out if the team will fit together. But honestly, until they start playing, we [don’t know]. When we looked at it, we tried to look at two-way players who bring us some kind of toughness and that’s what he is. He’s a two-way player that will pick up the ball full court and put pressure on opposing guards. He knows how to fight people and make people better and score a little bit too. So you hope that it translates to the basketball court.”

Coach Dwane Casey is also a fan of Joseph’s, but he also admits the play of the 24-year-old playmaker has exceeded expectation, Lewenberg adds. “He has [been a pleasant surprise],” said Casey. “His energy, his toughness wasn’t a surprise but it’s really been glaring. He’s really filled in. I didn’t know how much we could play the two [point] guards together but he plays bigger than he is. He’s not the typical point guard, he can guard twos, he can get down there and wrestle with some threes. If he gets switched off he gets into the big guys’ knees and boxes them out. So he is better than expected.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge would like to bring former teammate and fired Rockets coach Kevin McHale to the Celtics in some capacity, even if it’s just in a consultant’s role, Ainge told Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. The Mavericks are also interested, league sources said to Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
The Nets have respect for the coaching of Randy Ayers, whom they recently hired as a scout, though team officials say the organization doesn’t regard him as a coach-in-waiting in case Lionel Hollins is fired, reports Chris Mannix of SI.com.
The Celtics have assigned Jordan Mickey, Terry Rozier and James Young to the D-League, the team announced (Twitter link).

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Atlantic Notes: Sloan, Fisher, Sixers

October 9th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Donald Sloan knew at this point last season that his salary was guaranteed, and he went on to put up career-best numbers across for the Pacers, but now he is one of seven on the 20-man Nets roster without a full guarantee. He’s nonetheless confident, and Nets coach Lionel Hollins is high on the point guard’s ability, too, observes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.

“I thought Donald Sloan’s athleticism, size and quickness could help us,” Hollins said. “We’re looking for a third guard, and he was a guy that was out there that showed a little bit of tenacity and toughness, as well as athleticism and quickness.”

Bontemps suggests that Sloan, who has a partial guarantee of $50K, is fighting for the third point guard job, and ostensibly a regular season roster spot, with rookie Ryan Boatright, who has a $75K partial guarantee. See more from the Atlantic Division:

It was a plane issue that kept Knicks coach Derek Fisher from making it back to New York from Los Angeles for Monday’s practice, not his alleged scrap with Matt Barnes, Fisher contended Thursday, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Fisher added that he’s spoken with his boss, team president Phil Jackson, about what happened. The coach drew criticism for his absence from work.
Nerlens Noel and new addition Jahlil Okafor experienced some growing pains Thursday as they failed to mesh as well as they had two nights before, and Sixers coach Brett Brown admitted, “We’re going to have this conversation for a while, growing these two guys,” observes Tom Moore of Calkins Media.
Brown expects Kendall Marshall and Tony Wroten to miss at least the next month as they continue to recover from their injuries, Moore notes in the same piece, further jumbling the point guard picture for the Sixers, who have six point guards on their preseason roster.

Eastern Rumors: Williams, Knicks, Dragic

July 12th, 2015 at 11:25am CST by Dana Gauruder

Lionel Hollins denies that his sometimes stormy relationship with Deron Williams led to the Nets waiving the veteran guard in a buyout deal, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Though sources confirmed to Bontemps that the head coach and Williams had a heated meeting in Memphis earlier this year, Hollins said the Nets didn’t part ways with Williams because of their disagreements. “Everything is not peaches and cream, but there’s not one shred of evidence that our relationship is the reason that he had to go,” Hollins told the team’s beat writers. “I would have coached Deron this upcoming year just like I coached him last year, and we would have went forward just like everybody else on the team.” The Nets saved more than $50MM this season in payroll and luxury-tax payments by agreeing to give Williams $27.5MM of the $43.5MM he was owed over the next two years, Bontemps adds. The Nets used the stretch provision on the buyout.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Carmelo Anthony‘s decision to take slightly less than the max last summer helped the Knicks to re-sign Lou Amundson and Lance Thomas to more than the league minimum this month, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Anthony’s deal opened up $1.4MM in cap space this summer and that, combined with the NBA’s cap increase to $70MM, allowed the Knicks to secure Amundson for $1.65MM and Thomas for $1.63MM instead of the roughly $1MM minimum, Berman continues. If Anthony didn’t take less, the Knicks could have re-signed only one of them above the league minimum, Berman adds.
Goran Dragic‘s deal with the Heat is only worth a total of $85MM and has a starting salary of $14.783MM, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (on Twitter). Earlier reports estimated the deal at $90MM.
Paul George is pleased with the backcourt moves the Pacers have made this offseason, he told Scott Agness of the VigilantSports.com in a Q&A session. The pending addition of Monta Ellis and re-signing of Rodney Stuckey gives the team numerous playmakers, George told Agness. “One of the biggest things we needed to get better at was pushing the tempo and playing a little faster,” George said. “I didn’t know it was going to be a drastic roster change but I knew that was the direction this team needed to go to give ourselves a better chance of winning.”

Atlantic Notes: King, Thomas, Ainge, Young

April 9th, 2015 at 2:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets will be almost certainly be picking 29th thanks to their pick swap with the Hawks as called for in the Joe Johnson trade, but it would appear to be in keeping with owner Mikhail Prokhorov’s philosophy.

“If you analyze a championship team, 20% is draft picks and 80% of it is trades,” Prokhorov said to reporters Wednesday, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).

Prokhorov expressed comfort with GM Billy King and praised his “bold” approach, Prokhorov also said, complimenting coach Lionel Hollins, too, seemingly indicating that both will be back next season, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. We passed along more from Prokhorov’s chat with the media earlier today, and there’s more from around the Atlantic Division:

Lance Thomas has started 33 games this season and 20 with the Knicks, earning praise from team president Phil Jackson, and the New Jersey native signaled a desire to re-sign with New York in unrestricted free agency this summer. Thomas made his remarks in a video interview with Jonah Ballow of Knicks.com. “My experience as a Knick has been great, and I hope it doesn’t end,” Thomas said. “This is my hometown team, and I would love to represent New York, so I’m going to do everything in my power to hopefully make that happen.”
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is impressed with how his roster has performed after all the trades he pulled off, as Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe details. Ainge named soon-to-be free agents Jae Crowder and Brandon Bass among several he believes have excelled.
The Kevin Garnett/Thaddeus Young trade has been a steal for the Nets, argues Daniel LoGuidice of NetsDaily, who believes the arrival of Young, and not the resurgence of Brook Lopez, was the true catalyst for Brooklyn’s late-season run for a playoff spot. Bontemps, writing in a separate piece, believes Young’s on-court presence has helped Lopez operate so effectively. Young hasn’t decided on his player option for next season but has said he wants to remain in Brooklyn.

Nets Rumors: Chemistry, Changes, Prokhorov

March 14th, 2015 at 10:15am CST by Dana Gauruder

Poor chemistry has led to a disappointing season for the Nets, Tim Bontemps of the New York Post writes. Injuries and underachieving players have forced coach Lionel Hollins to constantly tinker with his rotation, leading to 17 different lineup changes, Bontemps adds. “[Chemistry is] very fragile,” Hollins said to the team’s beat reporters. “You constantly have to work at it, and adversity is the first thing that can kill chemistry. You have a little adversity and something happens and it splits, and then you have to get it back. It’s a time-consuming thing to get chemistry, and then you have some success and you have a little more adversity and then it goes back again. It’s hard to define why. You just have it, or you don’t.”

In other news concerning the Nets:

The team’s management plans to revamp the roster to bring in younger, more athletic players, according to a story on the team’s official website nba.com/nets. GM Billy King promised season-ticket holders in a conference call on Thursday that roster changes were coming this summer. “I think it could turn around really quickly,” King said in the call. “We’re going to explore every option to continue to add some athleticism so we can be a better defensive team, become a more athletic team, so we can get out and run. That’s the plan. We’ll look and explore every option. There will be no stone unturned as we go forward.”
Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is no longer seeking to sell a majority interest in the team, according to Josh Kosman and Claire Atkinson of the New York Post. Negotiations to sell the team never became serious because of uncertainty over Prokhorov’s interest in also selling the rights to Barclays Center, sources told the Post. Prokhorov is now actively shopping a minority interest in the team that does not include a sale of the arena, the Post adds. Evercore Partners, an investment banking firm Prokhorov hired to help facilitate a prospective sale of the team, made the decision to end their relationship with the Nets.
Prokhorov recently quit the Russian political party he founded, Civil Platform, and his motivation may have included his desire to protect foreign assets such as the Nets, according to an rt.com story. A relatively new Russian law that prevents senior officials and legislators from possessing foreign bank accounts and securities could have spurred Prokhorov’s decision, the story reveals.