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Nets' Atkinson: Horford's Efficiency 'Scares Me'

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BOSTON – Kenny Atkinson and Al Horford shared a basketball court on a nightly basis during the last four seasons as members of the Atlanta Hawks.

The pair will share a court again tonight when they tip off the 2016-17 regular season, though this time it will be under different circumstances.

This time, they’ll be facing off as foes.

Atkinson, who served as an assistant coach in Atlanta, will be making his debut as an NBA head coach for the Brooklyn Nets, who open up the season tonight against the Boston Celtics and their new big man, Horford.

On one hand, Atkinson has somewhat of an advantage as he prepares for this matchup since he understands Horford’s strengths and weaknesses better than most opposing coaches. But on the other hand, Horford is a four-time All-Star, and even if Atkinson knows his propensities, that doesn’t mean Brooklyn’s players can stop him.

The latter proved to hold more weight during Boston’s two preseason wins over the Nets, as Horford was efficient on both ends of the floor and had a cumulative plus/minus rating of plus-16.

“I mean, I know some (of his) tendencies… I think it helps a little,” Atkinson said Wednesday morning following Brooklyn’s shootaround at TD Garden.

“But in the preseason it didn’t help,” he added. “I think he shot 90 percent against us.”

Seventy percent, to be exact, but you get the idea.

Atkinson loved having Horford by his side for four seasons in Atlanta. Now that the two are separated, however, it appears Horford may become more of a thorn in his side thanks to the stability and consistency Horford will provide for Atkinson’s new Atlantic Division rival Celtics.

“Al Horford is like Rod Carew hitting .360,” said Atkinson. “He’s so solid. He doesn’t make mistakes. He kills you quietly and he’s just a super efficient player.

“That efficiency scares me,” he added with a laugh.

And it should.

Horford displayed unbelievable shooting efficiency during the preseason, boasting a 63.6 percent clip from the field. He also shot a shocking 71.4 percent from 3-point range, including a perfect 5-for-5 during Boston’s last five games.

The 3-ball is something that Horford heavily implemented into his game last season, and interestingly, Atkinson played a hand in that development.

“I worked with him a lot,” Atkinson said. “I wasn’t the only coach that worked with him, but we pushed it and he really owned it. He liked it and then he gravitated toward it and worked his tail off on it. So he really deserves all the credit, and I guess us at the Hawks a little bit because we said he could do it and we gave him the freedom to do it.”

Now, Atkinson just has to figure out how to stop it.

Adjusting to a New Routine

Atkinson has been coaching in the NBA for nearly a decade, but he says the transition from assistant coach to head coach is like night and day.

“From the time I wake up, my routine is totally different from when I was an assistant,” said Atkinson. “I think you’re worrying about a lot more things. Normally when I was an assistant I would work out in the morning. This morning I didn’t work out; (instead) I was looking at rotations and ATOs. So it’s changed, but I love it.”

During the preseason, Atkinson was like a rookie experiencing the lay of the land for the first time. The first few weeks were a challenging transition, but he says, “I’m feeling more comfortable every day.”

“As an assistant you cannot prepare for this,” said Atkinson. “Until you’re in that pilot seat and you’re driving the plane, it’s hard to mimic it. I really think it’s just the reps of being the head coach every day. And the guys are helping me too.”

He added, “This is a heck of a challenge, but I’m going to try to embrace it and I’m going to try to enjoy it.”

The challenge begins tonight, and it will be a hefty one as Atkinson and the Nets take on Horford and a promising Celtics squad.