Brooklyn Nets Rumors: Lionel Hollins to Be Fired… Again!

Stop me if you’ve heard this rumor. This rumor is the most popular of all of the Brooklyn Nets rumors for the last year and a half.

Wait for it…. wait for it!

Lionel Hollins is close to being fired as the Brooklyn Nets. I know what you are thinking…

Again?

Well at least this rumor is worldwide. At least someone is paying attention besides Nets beat writers. I think we are the only ones left. Brooklyn Nets fans are jumping ship by the truckload…with good reason.

It seems TASS, the Russian news agency, is reporting Monday that Lionel Hollins will be dismissed as the Nets coach just as soon as management can find a replacement. As one would guess, both ownership and management strongly denied the report, calling it “inaccurate” and “wrong.”

TASS reporter, Andrei Kartashov credits a  “team source familiar with the situation” for the story.

Here’s the source’s quote Kartashov uses in his report…

“the coach’s credibility is at an end,” “The club is already looking for a replacement.”

Don’t you just love sources on the team that is “close to the situation”? It’s right up there with a source “speaking on the condition of anonymity”.

This report from Russia conveniently comes out when Mikhail Prokhorov made his trek to Brooklyn over this past weekend. Luckily for Hollins, he wasn’t in the building for that train wreck against the New York Knicks. But I am assuming he does have ESPN somewhere on his private plane. If he makes a decision based on that game, Lionel Hollins would be gone because the Nets were terrible.

He was in attendance for the Nets game against the World Champion, Golden State Warriors. If he makes a decision based on that game Lionel Hollins should stick around a little longer.

Now last week, Fran Blinebury of NBA.com ranked Hollins high among coaches on the hot seat.

He writes…”This just isn’t working and everyone knows it.” Blinebury adds “General Manager Billy King has said publicly that he’s behind Hollins, but that’s not the belief behind the scenes.”

Andy Vasquez took to Twitter reporting Lionel Hollins’ feelings on the rumors…

Lionel Hollins on reportedly being on the hot seat “The seat is always hot. It was hot when I sat in it for the first time.”

Lionel Hollins has a point there. The rumors about his ouster was rampant last year when the Nets were rumored to be sold by the ownership group. Smartly, the Nets didn’t pull the trigger and went on to the playoffs. They stretched the first round series to six games when a lot of writers thought it would be a sweep.

Hollins said he does not worry about being fired bc not in his control. “You’re hired to be fired…it’s the nature of the business.”

Lionel Hollins should know. I mean how many coaches build a franchise (Memphis Grizzlies), lead them to the Western Conference finals only to get fired. If anyone in the NBA knows the “business” of being fired, it would be Lionel Hollins. The next quote uses a bad word so little kiddies reading this be warned…

Hollins says focus is doing his job:”& when it’s over, somebody calls me up & says you’re not here anymore, I pack my s@#^ up & I go home.”

Now we can’t tell Hollins to put his nose in the corner or wash his mouth out with soap. We can however break down what he is talking about.

Lionel Hollins is 62 years old and financially secure. Hence, he can actually be quoted using swear words and be able to sleep soundly at night. Also, he is in the second year of a four year deal. If the Nets fired him today (which they won’t) the franchise would owe him the remainder of this year’s salary plus ALL of next year’s salary which is tallied up at more than $5 million dollars.

After Brooklyn’s win against the Houston Rockets for the second time this season, the Nets stand with a 6-15 record. Looking at the record at first glance, it would stand to reason that Hollins should be fired. You’d be wrong. The Nets have played better as of late. They laid eggs against the Knicks and Celtics, but took the two teams in the NBA Finals last year to the wire this season in Golden State and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But for Hollins to continue coaching the Nets without Billy King having press conferences every week defending him like this courtesy of Andy Vasquez…

“It’s funny because I think the report said it was management,” King said. “And I’m management so there is no truth to that. Lionel and I are working hard every day. We’re discussing possibilities, things we can do on the court, off the court. I’ve talked to ownership and right now, Lionel is our coach and we’re working to turn this around.”

The Nets are going to have to improve on the road where they are 1-11. They are going to have to score more based on ranking 29th in offensive efficiency. That stat is more glaring because the team is ranked 24th in defensive efficiency which is Hollins’ calling card. As for the issues at the three point line, pick a side. The Brooklyn Nets are dead last on both sides of the floor.

Lionel Hollins as of this writing has a 44-59 record since coming to Brooklyn last year. Since then, he has been criticized for lack of accountability (not a good look for a leader of a young team), odd rotations, bad adjustments, poor communication and clashes with players.

This is not good going forward if the team is going to make trades per Billy King on the YES Network…

“We’re going to explore options out there and look and see if there’s other players if we need to make a deal to bring guys in.” King said on the Yes Network pregame show. “But we’re going to give this group a chance until we can find another option.”

With Rondae Hollis-Jefferson out with surgery on his ankle and two trade exceptions worth 3.4 million dollars and 900,000 respectively, watch out.

That means you Lionel Hollins.