a Nets fan happy with the coaching change

After another ugly loss to Milwaukee, the Nets' tenth loss of December, Avery Johnson was finally "relieved of his coaching duties." Most of the attention and blame has been directed at Deron Williams. I don't agree. In fact, I thought this coaching change came late enough.

Avery Johnson is not a great coach and he was underachieving with the Nets. His record with New Jersey/Brooklyn was 60-116. You want to point at his record in Dallas? Then remember that he lost three straight playoff series, including 2007 when a 67-win Mavs team got blown out by the Golden State Warriors. He was fired because he couldn't get his team to play to their best potential. And this season he was given a lot of talent but he doesn’t get the most out of his players. It was not working.

Deron Williams did not force Avery out. This was an ownership move. Deron Williams has certainly played poorly and is having a bad season. But so are Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries. They are all having the worst seasons of their careers. I like the guys on the bench, but C.J. Watson, Keith Bogans, and MarShon Brooks are not being used effectively or playing effectively, either. So what is the coach doing? All Deron Williams said was that he was having a hard time adjusting to the current system. Is that so heinous? Everybody on the team can say the same thing!

Gerald Wallace has called out his teammates, saying “guys are content with the situation that we are in, and I’m **** pissed off about losing, especially losing the way we are losing.” Kris Humphries was benched and didn't even get off the bench, even before he got hurt. Yet D-Will is the reason Avery Johnson was fired. Gimme a break.

The Nets have been the slowest-paced team in the league. The majority of their offense is isolations. That's fine if you have LeBron, Durant or Kobe. But that doesn't fit the players on the Nets. It shouldn't be a surprise that D-Will enjoyed and thrived in a "system offense" like Jerry Sloan's Jazz. So what is Avery Johnson doing about that? The defense has been bad, especially in December. And two things that surprise Nets fans the most is how they have lost. They get outplayed in the third quarter every single game. Isn't halftime when coaching adjustments are supposed to happen? Johnson gets outcoached every night. And on top of that, not unrelated, the Nets have lost four straight games in which they had a double digit lead. That is pathetic.

Brooklyn is starting new; new home, new logo, new players. They have plenty of talent on the team and an owner who is anxious to spend money to make his team better. Avery Johnson has done nothing to impress during his time with the Nets, and while the season hasn't even made it to New Years, it’s as good a time as ever to make a change.

And you know what, it’s not just about this season. I’m thinking about next season and the year after that. That’s been my stance ever since they moved to Brooklyn and got all these players. In a conference with the Miami Heat, the Nets won’t the Finals this year anyway. So they might as well finish putting the pieces together now to make a serious run for the next several years. That includes bringing in a head coach that can bring them up a level.

I thought this was the right move. The season is still salvageable. The Nets have enough talent to be a #3-5 seed in a weak Eastern Conference. They have been underachieving. But getting the right guy in can also prepare them for the upcoming seasons. Look at the difference in the Knicks with Mike Woodson instead of Mike D'Antoni. But unlike the Knicks who with all the age on their roster are built for now now now, the Nets have potential to contend for several more years.

I expect them to even win a playoff series this year. I know I've said a lot about "talent" and "potential." Of course, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson will have to play better than they have. Let's hope a new sheriff in town can make it work.