Now all of Brooklyn can breathe a sigh of relief.
On Thursday morning the Nets announced their decision to hire Sean Marks as their head general manager in charge of player and team development. . The 40-year old New Zealand native was previously working as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs – the best NBA franchise in the past 10 years.
“After an exhaustive vetting process, we are delighted to have Sean as our general manager,” Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said. “His experience on the court, in coaching and management gives him a 360 degree view of the job at hand. His background helping to build one of the greatest teams in the NBA gives him an unparalleled frame of reference. And he impressed us all with his vision, his values, his personality and his enthusiasm for the club. The vote to select him from an incredible list of talent was unanimous.”
Known as a rising star with the Spurs, the most prominent franchise in the league right now, with five championships dating back to 1999, the Nets had their eyes on the former NBA journeyman. After being drafted by the Knicks in 1998, Marks had a playing career that extended over a decade where he played for six different teams. Since 2013, Marks was serving as one of the assistants on Gregg Popovich’s bench.
In his statement, Marks expressed plenty of gratitude about his arrival here in Kings County. “I am very excited to be named the General Manager of the Brooklyn Nets, and to become a member of the vibrant and dynamic organization that represents Brooklyn,” Marks said. “I would like to thank Nets’ ownership for giving me this opportunity, and I look forward to the challenge of creating a unified culture and building a winning team.”
There is no question that Marks has his work cut out for himself by taking the reigns of this Nets team. With a dreadful record of 14-40, this has been one of the worst seasons in the history of this franchise. After making the playoffs last season the Nets find themselves in the basement of the standings for the whole league.
By taking the GM position in-season, Marks will get some much needed, immediate experience. With several months of basketball left on the calendar, it will give him a head start that can help him make the proper decision on who will coach this team next year. In addition, Marks will get a first hand look at the talent that he wants to keep and also the talent that he wants to get rid of.
Sooner than later the rumors will begin to increase about who Marks will target to take over this team.
For now though, Marks will have no time to waste dwelling on those possibilities. With the NBA trade deadline just hours away, the Nets will be fielding phone calls regarding some of their players. For instance, Thaddeus Young has drawn the interest of several teams that are in the playoff hunt.
Whether or not the Nets do go ahead and make any moves before the deadline, there is at least some stability moving forward within the organization. Certainly, this team will struggle the rest of the way, but with Sean Marks now in charge, the team and all of Brooklyn is confident that better things are on the way.
