The Brooklyn Nets have underwhelmed this season. Prior to the suspension of games due to the coronavirus outbreak, they were at 30-34 and only seventh in the Eastern Conference. It’s been extra disappointing to fans as it is on the heels of acquiring three recent All-Stars: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and DeAndre Jordan.

Durant is expected to miss the rest of the season as he is still nursing a torn achilles but Irving and Jordan’s addition barely lifted the team – if it ever did.

The struggles could be for a myriad of reasons – Irving was hampered by a bum shoulder (now out for the season), there were too many new faces, the conference got stronger, among others.

By early March, though, all that resulted in head coach Kenny Atkinson being let go. The same Kenny Atkinson that until a few months ago, was hailed as one of the most underrated coaches in the game because he turned a group of deemed spare parts into a playoff team – most notably Spencer Dinwiddie, who has emerged as a borderline All-Star.

Scapegoat or not, the Nets, as headlined by their superstars, will need a new maestro in the huddle. It’s never easy to find a new coach, and by the looks of it, another mistake may prove to be catastrophic.

Let’s take a look at Atkinson’s possible replacements:

Jacque Vaughn

Jacque Vaughn has been with the Nets’ coaching staff since 2016. He became the interim coach following Atkinson’s departure, and has compiled a 2-2 through his first four games.

Before landing in Brooklyn, Vaughn had a forgettable head coaching run with the Orlando Magic, where he only went 58-156 in two and a half seasons. The 45-year-old also played for 12 years in the NBA, playing mostly as a journeyman back-up point guard.

While the records aren’t encouraging, Vaughn has been learning from esteemed coaches for a good majority of his basketball career. He was with legendary coach Roy Williams while in college, and in the pros, he played for Jerry Sloan, Doc Rivers, and Gregg Popovich.

Tom Thibodeau

The rocky tenure with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2016 to 2019 is an outlier as to how good of a coach Tom Thibodeau really is. Prior to that stint, every team that he has been in exemplified defense, intensity, and toughness.

Six of the seven prior squads that he coached, whether as the head man or assistant, has ranked inside the top three in defense, and that even includes the expansion Timberwolves in the 1989-90 season.

While Thibodeau has built a bit of a reputation for eventually losing locker rooms, he does know how to get the most out of his players. That should hold weight when the Nets front office is lining up the candidates.

Mark Jackson

As a beloved New York native, NBA player, and arguably one of the feistiest floor generals of his generation, Mark Jackson is an option the Nets ought to look at. Like Thibs, he too brings toughness within his roster while also being a great motivator. It was well-documented how he helped fire up Reggie Miller by reading out scathing articles or player comments about him, especially in the playoffs. Point guards are also an attractive choice as head coaches since they are well-versed on seeing the floor, reading the defense, and devising plays.

Most are forgetting it now but he had a solid influence in building the Golden State Warriors. Jackson formed and strengthened the core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and David Lee from 2011 to 2014.

Will Hardy

Will Hardy is currently one of Gregg Popovich’s assistant with the San Antonio Spurs, and he has been with the team since 2013. Hardy’s specialty covers both ends of the floor as he earned his stripes on the Spurs by starting out as a video coordinator.

His chance to land the job could be strong as he and Nets General Manager Sean Marks worked under Popovich for three seasons.

Tyronn Lue

As mentioned, the Nets front office are in the hot seat to immediately place a new coach that would bode well with their superstars – after all, they generate the money, so for such a hiring, whatever they say should be seriously considered.

Since Atkinson’s release, the ever-outspoken Irving has reportedly voiced out a preference for the job: his old head coach from the Cleveland Cavaliers Tyronn Lue, whom he won a title with back in 2016.

Lue is the butt of countless memes online but he’s well-respected among NBA players. He is known to be an “Xs and Os” guy that came out of the Doc Rivers coaching family tree. He currently on Rivers’ staff with the LA Clippers.