5 potential replacements for Scott Brooks as Wizards head coach

2. Kenny Atkinson

With Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook giving the Wizards a strong pairing to build around, the safe play might be to go with a known quantity rather than a first-timer. Enter Kenny Atkinson.

Atkinson got a bit of a raw deal, building up the Brooklyn Nets without much talent, then being forced to leave the team just when the real stars emerged. Still, he did a great job developing his young group, getting the most out of what he was given.

The bulk of Atkinson’s playing career came overseas, so he brings a very European perspective to the game. He’s not afraid to try different approaches to find what works for his specific group of players.

There’s an argument to see what Atkinson can do with the likes of Beal and Westbrook in the short-term while buying into him as a long-term developer when a rebuild enters the picture.

Before landing the head coaching job with the Nets, he served as an assistant with the New York Knicks under Mike D’Antoni and the Atlanta Hawks under Mike Budenholzer.

He joined the Clippers as an assistant for Tyronn Lue in 2020.