Atkinson backs plan: Less splash, more substance
Despite having boatloads of money to spend — in a summer of record spending — the Nets have avoided big contracts like they’re avoiding the Zika virus.
Around the league rotation players have gotten eye-watering contracts, the superstars even more, but the Nets’ offseason has been quiet. Calculating. And, according to coach Kenny Atkinson, right according to plan.
Atkinson understands fans can hope they would have waved money at Dwyane Wade, or bemoan not getting Kevin Durant or Mike Conley or Al Horford. But he’d tell those fans to have faith, because the Nets’ rebuild is for the long haul.
“We’re following our plan so far. It’s a plan we stated from the beginning and we’re sticking with it,’’ Atkinson said. “It’s not always the big, splashy headlines. I think where we are and our stage right now, I think we’re very happy with how things have gone so far. I like the place we’re in.”
Where they are is coming off a 21-61 mess, without control of any of their first-round picks until 2019 as they attempt to clean it up. And the stage Atkinson and general manager Sean Marks are in is doing the only thing they can: Preach patience for a slow build.
If their four-year, $50 million offer sheet to Tyler Johnson becomes official — though that is now in doubt after Dwyane Wade agreed to go to the Bulls, making it possible the Heat could match the Nets’ offer sheet now that Wade is coming off the books — the Nets will have $21 million in cap space. But they’ve resisted the temptation to waste money on aging BandAids who will be gone (or a cap drain) by the time the team has improved.
Rather than chase highpriced vets and immediate gratification — that’s how the last regime got them in this mess — they hunted for bargains and targeted young restricted free agents. That meant getting Jeremy Lin for three years, $36 million instead of Conley for the NBArecord windfall he received. That meant agreeing to an offer sheet with Johnson, and pursuing Portland’s Allen Crabbe.
“Yeah, I think we’re following the plan. And the plan is not always perfect. Obviously there’s going to be bumps and twists and turns. A lot of this is scenario-planning: A,B, C, D, E, F. Hopefully we don’t get to G,’’ said Atkinson, who lost out on targets Jared Dudley and Sergio Rodriguez. “We’re on course.”
The course will have more bumps. Deals couldn’t become official until 12:01 a.m. Thursday, and Miami still has three days to match the Nets’ offer sheet to Johnson.
“You’ve got to be ready to adjust if things take a turn and you go in a different direction,’’ Atkinson said. “[It’s] exciting. Very exciting.”