Nets set to fire Frank early this week

[duncan228]

Nets set to fire Frank early this week (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Auu9RnX6HkQKKtaC2yZmdvi8vLYF?slug=aw-frankfiring112909&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)
By Adrian Wojnarowski

New Jersey Nets management wanted to give Lawrence Frank a chance to get several injured players back on this Western trip, end a historic losing streak and allow him to stay a little longer on the job.

As the consecutive losses to start the season have reached 16, the return of several key players has done little to improve the Nets’ performance and that will cost Frank his job, multiple sources told Yahoo! Sports on Saturday night.

Management has made the decision to fire Frank, a move that will be carried out when the team returns to New Jersey after Sunday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, the sources said. Even if the Nets beat the Lakers, Frank is still expected to be fired.

It’s expected that Nets president Rod Thorn will inform Frank early in the week, most likely on Monday.

The plan is for Nets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe to take over as interim coach, but there is still some support within the organization for veteran assistant John Loyer. The new coach is expected to be on the bench when the Nets play host to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night in New Jersey, sources said. The Nets could set an NBA record for futility with an 18th straight loss against the Mavs.

Vandeweghe has been on the Nets’ Western trip, studying the team’s personnel and formulating a plan to coach the team. Vandeweghe has wanted to dismiss Frank as far back as last season, sources say, but Thorn has resisted until now.

Sources say Nets management has come to believe that Frank has lost much of the team, a fact that has played out in losses to Denver and Sacramento in the past week. Once the Nets played so poorly against the Kings – believed to be the most winnable game on the trip – management decided it could no longer go on with Frank as coach.

Frank is in the final year of his contract, earning $4 million for the season.

Despite the return of point guard Devin Harris and shooting guard Courtney Lee, the Nets have played long stretches of uninspired basketball. “Most of the guys have tuned him out,” one source with direct knowledge of the locker room environment said. “This isn’t all Lawrence’s fault, but everyone knows that this can’t go on anymore.”

Vandeweghe was an assistant coach in Dallas for two seasons and also has worked as an executive for the Mavericks and Denver Nuggets since retiring as a player. If Vandeweghe takes over the Nets as expected, it will be for a similar reason that New Orleans GM Jeff Bower did after the dismissal of Byron Scott earlier this month: With cost-cutting, there was no assistant coach deemed capable of navigating the interim job.

With the Nets bleeding money and awaiting NBA approval of Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov’s ownership, New Jersey simply doesn’t have the money to look outside the organization for a coach now.

Frank took over for Scott as New Jersey’s coach in January of 2004, winning his first 13 games on the bench. Frank led the Nets to the playoffs three times, including two Atlantic Division titles. Frank has a close relationship with Thorn and has repeatedly said that Thorn has stood by him in the past couple seasons when other executives would’ve probably fired him. Frank has a 225-241 record in parts of six seasons, and most league executives believe that he’ll work again as a head coach.

[Danny.Zhu]

Poor guy, not his fault.

[duhoh]

coaches are getting shafted left and right

[Basketballgirl25]

not his fault with what he had to play with, but I'm sure the people who fire him know that and it's why they waited, sometimes you got to give to get, if this gets the Nets some wins I'll be happy, so Go Nets play the Lakers hard tonight, and go back and beat the Mavs hardcore

[Allanon]

When you're about to hit historical losing marks, I guess you gotta do something.

I agree it's not entirely Frank's fault but he is to blame in some part, that team has been horrible for awhile now.

[pauls931]

Sorry, that team has underachieved despite injuries. And when that happens, the coach always gets the blame. Too bad they couldn't have got a win or two in there, it might have saved him his job for now. Player morale is in the tank and management obviously thinks Frank could have done better.

[Trainwreck2100]

since this came out before the Lakers game he should play only bench players. also i weep not for fired coaches cause their contracts are guaranteed so they get payed millions to sit on their ass.

[Basketballgirl25]

When you're about to hit historical losing marks, I guess you gotta do something.

I agree it's not entirely Frank's fault but he is to blame in some part, that team has been horrible for awhile now.

agreed, not all Franks fault, both the players and his fault. They were basically the same when they had Kidd, Vince, Jefferson. Yes sure with those players they could win some game, but they sure weren't great. I see player now better then when we had Vince, Kidd and Jefferson because one we don't need to win and two some of the young players are getting better like Lopez and CDR so much better watching now and I don't lose sleep anymore:toast

[Laker-fan-in-SanAnto]

Agree not his fault but quite FRANKly a little too late imo. They should leave him there til Wednesday when they face the Mavs. Go out with the worst start in NBA history, 0-18

[Culburn369]

Aw f'k, it's immediate. They're trying to cop that game in Los Angeles this evening.

The dirty f'ks.

[duncan228]

Updated.

Nets fire Lawrence Frank after 0-16 start (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-nets-frankfired&prov=ap&type=lgns)

The New Jersey Nets fired coach Lawrence Frank on Sunday after losing their first 16 games during one of the worst starts in NBA history.

Assistant Tom Barrise will coach the team Sunday night in Los Angeles against the Lakers, when the Nets could tie the record for the worst start if they lose.

The Nets said a permanent replacement for Frank hasn’t been determined.

Frank was in his sixth full season, the longest-tenured coach in the Eastern Conference and the winningest coach in the Nets’ NBA history. But none of those victories came this season, and the team dismissed him with a 225-241 record.

“Lawrence always approached every day with a passion for his craft that was infectious, and his dedication to the game as well as his work ethic are to be both admired and appreciated,” Nets president Rod Thorn said in a statement. “I wish he and his family only the best of good fortune in the future.”

Frank, from nearby Teaneck, N.J., began his career with a 13-game winning streak, the best coaching start in league history. But he couldn’t overcome a losing streak that was even longer, just a game shy of the 17-game skids set by the 1988-89 Miami Heat and the 1999 Los Angeles Clippers.

Plagued by injuries this season, the Nets faced some games where they were missing four starters and suited up the minimum eight players. Still, they played hard and stayed close for most of those games, figuring the wins would come when they started getting some bodies back.

“That’s probably as little talent as I’ve seen anybody put on the floor in the long time with everybody hurt,” Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said. “Yet they were able to fight and stay competitive. The guy’s done a great job there.”

Despite the losses, Frank was expected to last through the four-game trip out West that ends Sunday, with management wanting to give him time with a regular roster. But they decided it was time for a change after the Nets fell far behind in losses at Denver and Sacramento.

After 3 1/2 seasons as a Nets assistant, Frank replaced the fired Byron Scott on Jan. 26, 2004.

He quickly turned around a struggling team with his record-setting start, winning Eastern Conference coach of the month honors in February after leading the Nets to an 11-2 record, a franchise-record .846 winning percentage.

The Nets made the playoffs in each of Frank’s first four seasons, advancing to the second round in three of them, before returning to their longtime losing ways while slashing payroll in recent years.

Jason Kidd was traded in February 2008, fellow veterans Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter were gone by last summer’s draft, and only the Kidd deal that landed All-Star point guard Devin Harris brought back much in return.

So after losing in the East semifinals in 2006 and ’07, the Nets stumbled to 34-48 finishes the last two seasons.

Plagued by poor attendance and heavy financial losses while playing at the Meadowlands, the Nets have been looking ahead to a move to Brooklyn. While management could make decisions with that in mind, Frank ultimately paid the price for what was happening in the present.

The deals helped the Nets’ financial future, leaving them with the most salary cap space available for the stellar free agent class expected next summer. But it left the team devoid of talented depth when New Jersey was plagued by injuries early this season.

“I just know that with the lineups he’s had to put on the floor, I don’t think any coach would have done anything better than he’s done. There seriously can’t be people out there who think they were losing because of coaching,” Van Gundy said before playing at New York.

“New Jersey’s front office obviously thought they should have been winning games. Why they would have that expectation, I have absolutely no idea.”

Even if the Nets played well, Frank might not have made it past this season.

Owners will vote by the end of next month whether to approve the sale of the team to Russian Mikhail Prokhorov. If the sale goes through, as expected, Prokhorov could decide to bring in his own coaching staff.

Frank is the second NBA coach fired this season, following his predecessor in New Jersey, Scott, who lost his job in New Orleans.

[pauls931]

Soooooooooooooo..... What are they going to do to avoid infamy? Was the coach so bad that he was dragging down Morale to where they think firing him may give them enough of a boost to win one of the next 2?

[Basketballgirl25]

Soooooooooooooo..... What are they going to do to avoid infamy? Was the coach so bad that he was dragging down Morale to where they think firing him may give them enough of a boost to win one of the next 2?

Don't ask me I am a Nets fan and I don't have a clue, got to do something, at least they were kind enought to fire him before the Nets made any history, hopefully if they make history it will only be tonight vs Lakers then we can start with Dallas and kill em bad:toast

[iggypop123]

i know they are an automatic loss but its not like they were going to lose by 60 tonight come on give him time

[Basketballgirl25]

i know they are an automatic loss but its not like they were going to lose by 60 tonight come on give him time

well I read the Frank lost the team, so maybe they will start winning with a new coach. I don't think they will beat the Lakers, but I think they will beat the Mavs if it is true he lost the team:toast

[BlackSwordsMan]

why not now?

[Basketballgirl25]

why not now?

why not now? do you mean why not fire frank now? if so they have:toast

[pauls931]

Oh man, they got LA next? Poor bastards.

[weebo]

the guy had been there a long while and a change was needed...it was a good move by the nets

[BlackBellamy]

I read the title as "Nets set fire to Frank early this week". :lol Thought that sounded a bit harsh.

[Basketballgirl25]

the guy had been there a long while and a change was needed...it was a good move by the nets

That's what I say, a change was needed, I totally don't think this was Franks fault like others when they get fired, but a change had to be mad. If he wasn't fired now, he was prob getting fired at the end of the season anyway, he is prob out celebrating right now, he still gets paid and he doesn't go in the history book for on of the worst starts

[weebo]

That's what I say, a change was needed, I totally don't think this was Franks fault like others when they get fired, but a change had to be mad. If he wasn't fired now, he was prob getting fired at the end of the season anyway, he is prob out celebrating right now, he still gets paid and he doesn't go in the history book for on of the worst starts

who eventually coaches that team?

[Basketballgirl25]

who eventually coaches that team?

I don't really know for sure, supposedly I heard Kiki, but then I heard he prob won't and it will be on of the guys on the bench, heard it won't be anyone outside the Nets, though, so someone who has never coached:lol

I heard it could be John Loyer, Tom Barrise(who coaches tonight), or Doug Overton

[weebo]

oh cool...so they go from sucking to sucking more

:rollin

[duncan228]

Nets stunned by coach’s firing after 0-16 start (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=txnetsfrankfired&prov=st&type=lgns)
By Greg Beacham

The winless New Jersey Nets fired coach Lawrence Frank on Sunday, a few hours before they attempted to avoid matching the worst start in NBA history.

Assistant Tom Barrise temporarily replaced his friend, coaching the 0-16 Nets against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Though Frank’s departure had been widely rumored while New Jersey lost every game in the season’s first 4 1/2 weeks, Frank’s players claimed they were shocked when their energetic coach showed up at their morning team meeting in Los Angeles not wearing his Nets gear.

“It’s tough, because he was the hardest worker on the team,” center Brook Lopez said. “He’s so passionate about what he does. It was a rough situation, and he did a great job of not using our injuries as an excuse. He came in every night and had us prepared.”

The Nets won’t choose a permanent replacement for Frank until they return from their four-game road trip Monday. Their next game is Wednesday at home against Dallas.

Frank’s 225 victories are the most in franchise history, and he had a career .500 record before this disastrous, injury-plagued season. He also was the longest-tenured coach in the Eastern Conference, but his steady work couldn’t repair a roster featuring eight players who already have missed multiple games with injuries, following a major offseason personnel overhaul.

“He wasn’t dealt a royal flush,” said Rafer Alston, who joined New Jersey in the June trade sending star scorer Vince Carter to Orlando and gutting the Nets’ payroll. “It’s almost like he had a pair of 2’s, and he tried to fight.”

Frank, from Teaneck, N.J., replaced Byron Scott in January 2004 and began his career with a 13-game winning streak, the best coaching start in league history. His final losing streak is even longer, just shy of the 17-game skids by the 1988-89 Miami Heat and the 1999 Los Angeles Clippers.

[Basketballgirl25]

oh cool...so they go from sucking to sucking more

:rollin

no not really, when we win against Mavs we will own, everyone know that:toast

[pauls931]

I read the title as "Nets set fire to Frank early this week". :lol Thought that sounded a bit harsh.

I passes that one up, but I thought that too...

[duncan228]

Frank disappointed he couldn’t get Nets a win (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=txnetsfrankfired&prov=st&type=lgns)
By Brian Mahoney

Lawrence Frank knew as the losses piled up in record-tying fashion that his job was in jeopardy, and he just wanted to hang in long enough to get the New Jersey Nets a win.

He couldn’t do it.

Frank was fired with the Nets still winless, and he said Monday that’s his only regret.

“I understood with our record that there could be potential consequences and that if we didn’t win that it would end in termination,” Frank said, “and you just kind of want to fight as long as you can fight to get a win because all this team needs … this team needs to validate some of their hard work.

“You just wanted to see this group through and have a win, because once they win - not that it solves all problems - but it just does really relieve a great deal of pressure on them. So I guess my only thing was I just wanted to fight to at least get this group a win and see where we can go.”

Instead, Frank was dismissed Sunday with an 0-16 record. The Nets lost to the Lakers later that night, tying the NBA record for consecutive losses to start a season.

He said during a conference call it’s hard to leave with unfinished business, but has no bitterness toward the organization. Even though he had an injury-depleted roster, he understood why he was fired.

“I knew at a certain time and point we were going to have to win some games regardless of our roster and we just didn’t deliver,” Frank said.

The Nets were interviewing candidates to replace Frank on Monday and weren’t expected to name an interim coach until Tuesday. Their next game is at home Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks.

Frank is the Nets’ NBA leader with 225 victories and was in his sixth full season, making him the longest-tenured coach in the Eastern Conference. But with the Nets’ roster weakened in recent years by cost-cutting mode and then injuries leaving them in even worse shape, he knew this season would be difficult.

He said neither the players nor staff ever believed they wouldn’t win, and refused to blame the injuries that left him playing with only eight available players for two weeks.

“At the end of the day, those are excuses and other teams have won with them and look, we didn’t get the job done,” Frank said. “It wasn’t from a lack of effort from the players’ standpoint, it wasn’t for a lack of effort from the staff. As the head coach. I accept responsibility for our inability to win some of the games we had a chance to win. You learn from it, you grow and you move on.”

Frank said he wanted to coach again in the NBA, but wasn’t ready to think about his future yet. He’s from nearby Teaneck, N.J. and said he would still root for the team he spent a decade with.

“I’m in the office right now, so that goes to show you I really don’t know where to go,” Frank said.