NEW YORK -- As the Brooklyn Nets set their sights as high as possible for their next head coach, they must realize that their greatest asset could double as their biggest red flag.

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov breezed into Brooklyn Friday night being his usual self. Fresh off an extreme vacation in the Canadian Rockies that involved 6-foot snow drifts and helicopters, he talked about throwing around millions and winning championships as if the two went hand-in-hand.

Standing inside the new Barclays Center, an arena that exists largely because he bailed out its developers during the recession, Prokhorov referred to the $330 million he spent to upgrade the Nets over the summer and implied there is more where that came from. These are the kind of statements that make coaches, no matter who they are or whether or not they are employed elsewhere, interested in the Nets' job.

Money seems to be no object for Mikhail Prokhorov. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

In a new era where some teams have to trade young stars out of fear of the luxury tax and others leave millions in cap space unspent, working for Prokhorov can seem so attractive.

Included is the team's move to Brooklyn, a place that will draw free agents and is a desirable place to live, and a veteran-laden roster that has the potential to win immediately.

These jobs do not become available every day. For the first time ever, the Nets job is a glamour position. Prokhorov is the reason.

The Russian rub, however, is that all these luxuries come with some extreme pressure, perhaps even unique in the NBA. That was known before Prokhorov fired Avery Johnson just weeks after he was named coach of the month. When Prokhorov said he expected to win a championship within five years of buying the team, he meant it. When he said at the start of the season he expected to reach the conference finals this year, he meant that, too.

The fact that this Nets roster may not completely fit together and has very limited playoff experience does not matter to him. That comes with the job and any coach who takes over will be expected to fix it and fix it now.

These are not secrets; Prokhorov is famously frank and he was again Friday.

Q: Have you talked to interim coach P.J. Carlesimo about his task?

Prokhorov: "Just to win a championship, very simple."

Q: Could you see finishing the season with Carlesimo as coach?

Prokhorov: "It depends on the result of the team."

Q: Do you still see this team capable of reaching the conference finals?

Prokhorov: "Of course, it is only the beginning of the (season)."

Q: Were the expectations for this team a little too high?

Prokhorov: "It is not very high, just championship, not more. We are only human beings."