Kenny Atkinson may be joining LA Clippers coach Ty Lue’s staff.
With the hiring of Ty Lue, we knew that the LA Clippers bench would be undergoing some revamping. Lue already has hired Chauncey Billups and Larry Drew as two of his assistants but rumors have it there may be more high profile hires on the way.
According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson may be joining the team.
Former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson has emerged as a strong contender to join new head coach Ty Lue's staff with the Clippers, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 23, 2020
As a coach for four seasons in Brooklyn, the 53-year-old Atkinson posted a 118-190 record, taking the team to the postseason just once. He was fired partway through the 2019-20 season because many people believe he was not the coach Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant wanted. That 2018-19 team playoff was special though and showed Atkinson’s ability to develop young talent.
For the Clippers, that is exactly what they need. During Ty Lue’s introductory press conference, owner Steve Ballmer made a point of talking about how the team needs to develop their youth, especially given that they are without many picks going forward.
Doc Rivers infamously refused to play his younger players substantial minutes. The only year he noticably did was the 2018-19 season where he used both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Landry Shamet in major minutes. That season was the exception, however, with the two having to play due to lack of shooting and playmaking on the roster. Fans saw Shamet’s role shrink again this season after the acquisition of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
Atkinson will have to help with that, although Lue said he will not make coaches in charge of just one single thing. The team already has two interesting prospects on the team in Terance Mann and Mfiondu Kabengele so perhaps Atkinson can unlock something in each of them.
If Atkinson ultimately does get added to Lue’s staff, it just adds one more thing for Clipper Nation to get excited about. The team is making necessary moves to correct the error of their ways from last season. Would you like Atkinson on the staff? Let us know on Twitter and check back here often for all things LA Clippers!