The Nets are adding to their coaching staff, with The Post learning ex-Knick Pablo Prigioni will join the group. He will aid in development, especially helping to groom a glut of young point guards that will be key in the rebuilding process.
The team also announced the addition of Tiago Splitter to the position of pro scout, with added duties related to player on-court development. Coming off a 28-53 season, and without their own draft pick in June, developing in-house talent will be paramount. The South American duo should help toward that end.
The Knicks tried to hire Prigioni, who spent 2012-15 in the Garden and helped them to their most recent playoff berth in 2012-13. But that was last spring, under the since-fired Jeff Hornacek. Instead Brooklyn brought him on board to work under head coach Kenny Atkinson, whom he has known for years through European basketball and Basketball Without Borders.
“I’m still learning from these guys,” Prigioni had told The Post during a weeks-long visit with the Nets’ coaching staff. Now the Argentine is joining them, with no indication that anybody is leaving to make way for either him or Splitter.
Prigioni spent most of his professional career in Spain, winning the Spanish Cup MVP Award in 2006 and twice being named All-EuroLeague second-team. And when he decided to try his hand at coaching, that’s where he started.
After playing his final season at Baskonia in 2016-17, he retired and — rejecting an offer from the Knicks last spring — took over as Baskonia’s head coach. But he stepped down in October after starting 0-3 in EuroLeague and 2-3 in LigaACB.
Now, his coaching career restarts in Brooklyn, albeit this time as an assistant under a regime that prioritizes player development and is open to foreign methods. And the 40-year-old has a wealth of knowledge to pass on to their young lead guards.
Prigioni had become a favorite in the Garden for his plucky defense and team-first play. Even beyond veteran Jeremy Lin — coming back from a season-ending knee injured suffered in the opener — the Nets have 22-year-old D’Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert, (23), Isaiah Whitehead (23) and Spencer Dinwddie (25) all on the books.
Even if the Nets do opt to move one of them, and lessen the glut at the position, the guards who stay will be critical to their rebuild. Whether it be defense, leadership, shooting, they all will need individual development to reach their potential, and Prigioni has valuable experience to lend.
Meanwhile, Splitter had a pre-existing relationship with Atkinson and Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks.
The Brazilian big man spent five years playing for the Spurs, winning a 2014 NBA title on a team that included Marks as an assistant coach. And he spent 2015-16 in Atlanta, where Atkinson was the lead assistant. He retired in February due to hip woes, and his international experience — he’s played in both Brazil and Spain, including at Baskonia — could serve him well.