The Brooklyn Nets have surprised everyone with their ability to make it to the playoffs. Not only that, they even landed the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference. Besides the playoffs, the Nets still have a lot on their plate.

Before the season went on hiatus, the Nets fired their four seasons head coach, Kenny Atkinson. This definitely came as a bit of a shock as he was the longest-tenured coach before this announcement was made. However, there isn’t any shortage of coaches in the NBA and the Nets are looking for potential candidates already.

Gregg Popovich as new head coach

With that being said, Gregg Popovich seems to have caught their eye. He is currently the President and Head Coach for the San Antonio Spurs.  What’s fascinating is that the Nets chose former point guard for the Spurs, Jacque Vaughn as their interim coach after Kenny stepped down. Vaughn had been Gregg’s assistant for two seasons before starting his coaching career with the Nets.

The impact that Vaughn has created is evident by the way the Brooklyn Nets have performed after he took over. With key players like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving absent from the bubble, the Nets still showcased a lot of potential and made it to where they are.

Popovich is, without a doubt, the most competent to lead the star-studded roster that the Nets are building. However, getting a hold of this most viable candidate for the team won’t be a piece of cake. He is still bound by contract to the Spurs and has shown no interest in exiting as the head coach of the Spurs.

When asked whether he would want to return as the Spurs’ head coach, he questioned, “Why wouldn’t I?” Even so, you can’t blame Brooklyn for giving it a shot.

Other candidates for the Nets

The other candidates on their radar are:

• Los Angeles Clippers assistant Ty Lue
• Los Angeles Lakers assistant Jason Kidd
• Philadelphia 76ers assistant Ime Udoka
• Former Houston Rockets and New York Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy

Just like Vaughn, Udoka has also played and been coached by the five-time NBA Champion and three-time Coach of the Year, Gregg Popovich.

For now, the Brooklyn Nets are all set to go up against the defending NBA champions, the Toronto Raptors on Monday in their first round of playoffs.