The Brooklyn Nets and head coach Kenny Atkinson mutually agreed to part ways on Saturday morning. Although it is slightly unclear whether Atkinson was losing his grip on the job, anyway.

Anthony Puccio of SB Nation and the Associated Press reported some of the players wanted Atkinson gone, though there is no suggested motive given:

This decision still comes as somewhat of a surprise.

Atkinson was lauded for the job he did in leading the Nets to a 42-40 record and a playoff appearance last season. Players like D'Angelo Russell, Jarrett Allen and others all made noticeable leaps, and it seemed the Nets were on the rise in the Eastern Conference.

But Atkinson was presented with a new set of challenges this year.

For starters, Kyrie Irving decided he wanted to play closer to home. Russell was sent to the Golden State Warriors in a sign-and-trade that brought back Kevin Durant, who was already going to miss the entirety of the 2019-20 season. The Nets had made a big play to acquire two exciting (and mercurial) stars in the blink of an eye.

In spite of the excitement, however, the Nets have taken a step back this season. They have actually played better without Irving, whose shoulder injury has dominated headlines for months on end.

Although they have competed on the defensive end thanks in part to Allen and DeAndre Jordan anchoring the middle, the Nets rank 23rd in offensive rating, per Basketball Reference.

Interestingly enough, the Nets (28-34) are still in playoff position. They currently hold down the seventh seed in the East. But merely remaining competitive was not enough to save Atkinson's job. He had apparently lost the confidence of some players in the locker room.