The Brooklyn Nets are looking to move into a new era with a new head coach following their success this season following the departure of Avery Johnson and one name that could be a big option if former Bucks head coach Scott Skiles.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, Skiles is on the list of candidates for the job after Phil Jackson rejected the teams offer and while the Bucks were not a championship team, they were very solid under Skiles for four years. The team made the playoffs just once, but Skiles could be the defensive minded coach that the Nets need in the tough Eastern Conference.
The team went 46-36 in 2010 after Skiles was with the Bulls and led them to the first winning season since Michael Jordan retired, but he never could get the Bucks to play consistently during his time there. The defense first approach turns off some players, but that could be just what Deron Williams and company needs after Johnson and PJ Carlesimo.
Skiles was with the team for four years and had a 162-182 record with the Bucks and pushed his players hard, including Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings. Skiles was fired during the season following Johnson and Mike Brown's dismissals and his best run during his years there came in 2010 when the team finished second in the Central and lost in the first round to the Hawks in seven games.
The team started with a 6-2 record, but eventually ended up losing seven of the next nine games, including a 113-106 overtime loss to the Miami Heat. Both Jennings and Ellis struggled on the defensive side of the ball during the season, although Skiles was able to turn Larry Sanders into a great interior presence and that could be key for the Nets if they hire him.
