The Nets named Spurs executive Sean Marks their new general manager this past week, targeting him since firing Billy King in January.

It’s a solid hire, although Marks has no experience as a GM. Marks played parts of 11 seasons in the NBA before retiring after the 2010-11 season, becoming another branch of the Spurs’ remarkable front office tree.

While the NBA is considered the most diverse of the major sports in terms of hiring coaches, to the point where it’s never really been an issue, the same can’t be said of front office positions. Privately, there were several GM hopefuls of color who shook their heads at the hiring of Marks, who is white.

Not just because someone with no GM experience was hired, but because the Nets didn’t bother bringing in a handful of those candidates for interviews. Troy Weaver, Scott Perry, Mark Hughes, Marc Eversley, Allan Houston, Brandon Williams, and Gerald Madkins are all seeking GM positions but are still waiting for opportunities to merely interview.

There have been rumblings for years that African-American GM candidates are being passed over for younger counterparts. Those counterparts have more of a background in analytics, which is becoming a sticking point.

The NBA has embraced analytics experts who can build rosters using the latest research. The Rockets’ Daryl Morey is an example of a GM who relies heavily on analytics to make personnel decisions.

Of the 30 NBA teams, four have GMs or presidents of basketball operations who are African-American or African: Doc Rivers with the Clippers, Milt Newton in Minnesota, Masai Ujiri in Toronto, and Dell Demps in New Orleans. Meanwhile, Weaver, Perry, and others wait for their chance but watch as jobs go to executives from so-called front office trees or those with analytics backgrounds.

But as one GM hopeful said: “How many NBA titles has one of those analytical guys won?’’

With Morey struggling in Houston, and Sam Hinkie having to share duties with Jerry Colangelo in Philadelphia, there are further questions as to whether having an analytics background should be the foremost qualification for getting a GM job.

And who is to say the aforementioned candidates, or former African-American GMs looking for another chance, wouldn’t rely on analytics?

There seems to be a lot of confusion among owners over what type of candidate to hire to run an organization. And many of these candidates who have been in the NBA for two decades are just asking for an interview.

It may be up to the NBA to step in, as ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith suggested, and mandate teams interview at least one GM candidate of color.

And it would help if teams would be more open to hiring former players who have management aspirations. These so-called front office trees grow because teams such as the Spurs employ hopefuls, such as Marks, who build credentials and qualifications.

Former Celtic Paul Pierce has said repeatedly he’d like to run an organization someday, and there are many lesser-known players who have similar goals. Perhaps the league and the players’ union can combine to train these hopefuls in areas such as the salary cap so they can approach positions better qualified.

The NBA does have “Corporate Crossover,’’ which allows former players to participate in internships in the league office. And the league has increased opportunities for ex-players who want to pursue coaching, including in the Summer League, Developmental League, draft combine.

But owners need to be more open to hiring those who aren’t wunderkinds or from other team’s front office tree.

The NBA needs to look in the mirror and realize this lack of diversity has been growing for years and it needs to be addressed.

UGLY SIDE

Cousins embraces intimidating role

Intensity and emotion can be seen on his face every time he hits the court for the Kings. DeMarcus Cousins is not a nice guy on the court. He frowns. He scowls. He barks at officials and opponents. He is an old-school player, where as other current players offer hugs and fist-bumps before elbows.

“I’m an ugly dude; I can’t really help how my face looks,’’ Cousins said. “You’re just going to have to take it. Some people like it, some people don’t. So this is my face. If I was short, I don’t think I would be intimidating. They would be like, ‘That’s a little ugly person.’ Because I’m big, I’m intimidating.’’

When told that people around him say he’s a softie, Cousins said, “Nah, I wouldn’t go that far.’’

Cousins, coming off his second All-Star Game, believes his critics will never focus on his skill set over his on-court demeanor. Cousins has been considered a mercurial player since being drafted fifth overall out of the University of Kentucky in 2010.

“You tell me,’’ Cousins said, when asked when his play will become more of a focus. “You guys write, I just play.’’

Cousins made it clear he’s not concerned about marketing opportunities or expanding his personal brand.

“I like to play basketball,’’ he said. “It’s great to get those type of opportunities. I don’t want to put myself in a box. I’m always open to new and different things. But I play basketball. That’s my job.’’

Cousins has formed a strong bond with former Celtic Rajon Rondo, who leads the league in assists. But just because they both played for Kentucky doesn’t mean they were close before they became teammates.

During a 2011 Celtics-Kings game in Sacramento, Kevin Garnett collided with Cousins and fell to the floor. Rondo rushed over to help Garnett up and shoved Cousins away from the scrum, much to Cousins’s chagrin. The two nearly fought, and that memory was burned in Rondo’s mind when he considered Sacramento as a free agent.

“We didn’t really know each other that well,’’ Cousins said. “I mean, we knew each other through the Kentucky ties but now he’s like a big brother to me, somebody I look up to. I’m always getting advice from him, always learning from him.’’

Cousins also has a close relationship with Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas. They were teammates on the Kings for three years and had their issues when Thomas was more of a shoot-first guard. But the two have grown close over the past few years and keep in touch regularly.

“He’s performing at a high level. He’s leading his team,’’ Cousins said. “That’s something that he’s been working towards since I’ve known him. His drive. That chip on his shoulder. I know a lot of people in this league and there’s something with him that’s different.’’

CAVALIER ATTITUDE

Lue not setting goals in Cleveland

There are high expectations for Cleveland in the second half of the season — especially with Kevin Love staying put and the Cavaliers acquiring Orlando sharpshooter Channing Frye to bolster their bench — and new coach Tyronn Lue, the former Celtics assistant, won’t be allowed a grace period.

Lue said he planned on holding superstar LeBron James more accountable for his mistakes, such as defensive lapses and questionable shot selection. During All-Star Weekend, Lue was asked how he plans to do that.

“With LeBron, just being the caliber of player that he is, being one of the best players in the game, he’s going to listen to anything you say one time,’’ Lue said. “And if he doesn’t agree with it, then he’s going to have to challenge that situation. But my whole thing is I have to coach him harder. He wants that. He spoke to me about that. So I’ve got to continue to do that.’’

Lue, who was close with predecessor David Blatt, refuses to set goals for the team. The Cavaliers have been inconsistent under Lue, suffering home losses to the Celtics and Bulls and losing at Charlotte before running off four consecutive wins.

“I want to get better game by game, I don’t want to look forward to the playoffs, June or whatever,’’ Lue said. “It’s a tough Eastern Conference. With LeBron, he’s been trying to sacrifice, trying to move the ball. We’re pushing the tempo and everything we’ve been doing, I’ve got to start from the top and work my way down. I do believe as a coach, like Phil Jackson, he got on Kobe [Bryant] and [Shaquille O’Neal] every single day. If you get on the best players and hold those players accountable, it’s easy for everybody else to fall in line.’’

There is still a level of discomfort when Lue talks about his new job. Blatt was fired with a 30-11 record. The move was lambasted by many of the league’s coaches. Lue was accused of buddying up to James to perhaps get the job. Lue claimed he was stunned by general manager David Griffin’s decision.

“Not at all, [this wasn’t my dream], taking over for a coach in Coach Blatt, who did a great job and made it to the NBA Finals with two of our All-Stars out and then be No. 1 in the East and put us in the position today to coach the All-Star Game,’’ Lue said. “And then to be fired 41 games into the season is a tough task to try to take over. It’s tough but I’m at peace because me and Coach Blatt have a great relationship. We talk all the time, so as long as I know he has my back, I’m at peace.’’

Lue said he not only learned from Blatt but also his previous head coaches, including Doc Rivers, who invited him to join the Celtics staff before the 2009-10 season.

“Both Van Gundys, Scott Skiles, Mike Woodson, Doug Collins, Avery Johnson — so I’ve been able to play for a lot of great coaches,’’ Lue said. “That’s what’s helped me along in this process.’’

If given the opportunity, Lue said he would have interviewed for the Celtics job after Rivers left for the Clippers in June 2013. Instead, Danny Ainge recruited and hired Brad Stevens.

Lue said he is impressed with Stevens and the Celtics.

“Brad Stevens has done an unbelievable job, just having a young team and him coming in and being prepared,’’ Lue said. “To have a team that’s followed his lead right away has been amazing. With Isaiah [Thomas] and Avery [Bradley] being their two main scorers and you have everybody else chipping in every night, so they have five, six players in double figures.

“If you have a balanced team like that, it reminds me a lot of the Detroit Pistons when they had Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace, Chauncey [Billups], Richard Hamilton, and Tayshaun [Prince].’’

ETC.

Johnson, Iverson recall their battles

When asked if he saw a sign that it was time to retire, former All-Star guard Kevin Johnson said it came during a game between his Suns and the 76ers in 1998, when Allen Iverson drove past him as if he was standing still, scored the layup, and then ran past him and patted him on the butt.

Johnson and Iverson are now eligible for the Basketball Hall of Fame, with elections this fall. They saw each other during the Hall of Fame news conference in Toronto last week, and Iverson brought up his own matchup memory.

It was from Feb. 26, 1997, the first matchup between the guards. Johnson, at age 30, scored 36 points with eight assists and two steals as the Suns won, 111-104, at America West Arena. Iverson, a rookie, finished with just 8 points on 3-for-15 shooting and said he cried after the game.

“When I was a rookie, you know what you did to me?’’ Iverson said to Johnson, now the mayor of Sacramento. “You know what you did. And I remember Maurice Cheeks was our coach, and he said — you know, because I was crying. Honestly. That was the only time somebody destroyed me like that. And Maurice Cheeks told me, don’t worry about it, AI, one day you’ll get somebody. Y’all go back and look at it, and that’s what he did to me. He killed me.’’

Layups

The Bucks’ removal of Greg Monroe and Michael Carter-Williams from the starting lineup led to two consecutive victories before the All-Star break. For Monroe, it was an opportunity to play with less pressure and also against second-unit centers. The Bucks received some calls on Monroe at the trade deadline but were never interested in moving him. As for Carter-Williams, a Hamilton native, the Bucks are rather frustrated with his inconsistency. Milwaukee is 13-24 in his starts and Carter-Williams has a defensive rating of 107 (points allowed per 100 possessions). Coach Jason Kidd envisioned Carter-Williams as a matchup nightmare for smaller guards, but he has become a player without a true position. The Bucks could move him this summer . . . A buyout candidate before the March 1 deadline is Lakers forward Brandon Bass, who has a team option for $3 million next season. Bass signed with Los Angeles with the purpose of joining Kobe Bryant on a playoff run, but that has not been the case. Bass has played mostly backup center for the Lakers — a position he played rarely during his four years in Boston — and he has not had the opportunity to be the pick-and-roll power forward that made him effective with the Celtics . . . Former first-round pick Jimmer Fredette scored 35 points and was named MVP of the NBADL All-Star Game. Fredette was released by the Spurs in training camp and signed with the Westchester Knicks, New York’s NBADL affiliate. Interim coach Kurt Rambis said Friday that the New York Knicks are expected to sign Fredette to a 10-day contract on Monday . . . The 76ers were open to offers for third overall pick Jahlil Okafor but he wasn’t exactly on the trade block. Coach Brett Brown would like to play at a faster pace and Okafor is a traditional back-to-the-basket center. So what happens when one of the top players in the draft, a potential franchise cornerstone, doesn’t fit into the system? The 76ers have to figure out a way for Okafor to mesh with Nerlens Noel, who flourishes when running the floor. Okafor is a skilled post player with an array of moves but it seems the 76ers simply drafted him to amass more assets and didn’t consider his fit in the team’s offensive philosophy.

Gary Washburn can be reached at gwashburn@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GwashburnGlobe. Material from interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.