New Nets Owner Could Make a Splash With Ewing as Coach

When Mikhail Prokhorov -- the richest man in Russia -- officially takes over ownership of the New Jersey Nets in 2010, ushering in a new era that will include a move to Brooklyn and a sparkling new arena, he'll be looking to make the biggest possible splash.

With an unlimited budget and plenty of salary cap space this summer, he will revamp his roster, reorganize the front office and find a new coaching staff.

One smart move would be hiring Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing as his first head coach. What better way to upstage the cross-town New York Knicks then to land one of their all-time greatest players? What better way to erase the nightmare of this season?

"I'm ready for it,'' Ewing said Wedneday afternoon. "I've paid my dues. I have no doubt I could do well. I would love to go back to the New Jersey/New York area. I just need the opportunity.''

Ewing, 47, has spent the past seven seasons as an assistant coach, moving from Washington to Houston to Orlando, preparing himself for the next step, learning from career coaches like Jeff and Stan Van Gundy, along with Brendan Malone. As much as anyone, Ewing has guided Magic center Dwight Howard to his current place as the best center in the world.

"I'm not just a big-man's coach. I'm a basketball coach. And I could be a good head coach somewhere,'' he said after a morning workout. "It's just a matter of getting a chance.''

Prokhorov just might be the guy to do it, to take that chance, to make the bold move. A big man with grand plans, Prokhorov won't be settling for anything recycled. He also won't be hiring a short coach, either, wanting someone with stature who commands respect on every level. He has a playboy reputation, and he'll want someone he can show-off to the rest of the world.

Ewing would be his man, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, an 11-time All-Star who also happens to be the Knicks all-time leading scorer and rebounder. Having him would be a feather in his cap.

When the Nets fired coach Lawrence Frank last week, they moved Kiki Vandeweghe from the front-office to be interim coach, adding veteran Del Harris to assist him. In all likelihood, neither will be back on the bench next season.

The Nets' disaster this season -- they lost their first 17 games going into Wednesday night -- was not completely unexpected.

They have spent the last two years cutting contracts for both the sale to Prokhorov and to create space under the salary cap to pursue two big-name free agents this summer.

What better way to help attract those free agents in July than to hire Ewing in June? Ewing was not seriously considered for the Knicks coaching job when Mike D'Antoni was hired in 2008, but he should have been.

Prokhorov might want to show them what they could have had by hiring Ewing this summer.