Atkinson, who was promoted to the league under Mike Budenholzer, made his name as coach of the Brooklyn Nets in the 2016-2020 season. Took over a team without substantial funds in the draft or existing talent and helped it become a playoff team. Kevin Durand and Kyrie Irving were so impressed with the Brooklyn rebuild that they decided to join the Nets as free agents in 2019. This, however, turned out to be Atkinson’s overthrow, as he failed to build a strong relationship with the young veterans. and was eventually fired. in the middle of the 2019-20 season. Select the checkbox to confirm that you want to sign up.
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Atkinson is considered one of the top talent developers in the NBA. His background in almost every stance supports this idea. In Brooklyn, he helped turn Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie and D’Angelo Russell into three of the best young basketball players in the world. He then joined the Los Angeles Clippers as an assistant, and Terence Mann became one of the top players in the 2021 post-season under his control. He spent this season with the Golden State Warriors, and it is no coincidence that young players such as Jonathan Cuminga, Moses Moody and Gary Peyton II have thrived with him in the building. The Hornets have one of the newest rosters in the NBA and now Atkinson will have the task of helping it flourish in a playoff team. Borego could not do it largely due to the team’s defensive woes. Charlotte has never had a top center-back during Borego’s tenure, and finding one for Atkinson will be a priority for the future. The Hornets have lost in the play-off phase in consecutive seasons. Atkinson is currently coaching in the Finals and the Hornets are hoping to bring some of that momentum to Charlotte when he takes over next season.
