boutons_
12-15-2006, 07:17 PM
December 15, 2006
Nets' Slow Start Has Frank on the Warm Seat
By JOHN ELIGON
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Dec. 14 — Lawrence Frank entered the Nets (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/newjerseynets/index.html?inline=nyt-org)’ locker room before a recent game walking in reverse and wearing his suit backward. He then stripped to his underwear, put the suit back on correctly and turned to face the team.
“Basically, the message was, it’s time to turn things around,” Frank, the Nets’ coach, said after practice Thursday.
By the time he got to that message, however, the players were aching with laughter.
“We all fell out, the whole team,” the swingman Antoine Wright said as he chuckled. “He’s always coming in with these silly, terrible speeches that don’t get anybody riled up. But that one was one of the best. That one was funny.”
The Nets had entered that game against the Memphis Grizzlies (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/memphisgrizzlies/index.html?inline=nyt-org) on Monday night as losers of three in a row and 9 of 11. In starting the season much slower than expected, the Nets had rising tension and pressure. Frank simply wanted his team to relax.
Wright said: “It was like a sigh of relief. It’s O.K. to laugh.”
The Nets (9-12) responded with a dominant performance in a 105-92 victory against the Grizzlies and with another 13-point win, 108-95, against the Milwaukee Bucks (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/milwaukeebucks/index.html?inline=nyt-org) on Wednesday night. They play the Raptors (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/torontoraptors/index.html?inline=nyt-org) in Toronto on Friday night. How much of the Nets’ recent success can be attributed to Frank’s moonwalk is debatable. But Frank, 36, must continue to find ways to reach his players because, in his third full season as the coach, he must prove that his message still resonates with them.
In each season that Frank has started as the Nets’ coach, they have been below .500 through 21 games. They were 9-12 last season before winning 10 consecutive games.
Although the Nets are not playing up to expectations, Frank’s job appears to be safe for the rest of this season. Rod Thorn, the team president, said Thursday that his confidence in Frank had not wavered.
“I think Lawrence does a terrific job,” Thorn said. “He’s always looking for ways to inspire people and motivate people. He’s not going to give up just because things haven’t gone swimmingly.”
Frank has a regular-season record of 125-100. He has led the Nets to the Atlantic Division title twice and past the first round of the N.B.A. playoffs in two of three appearances.
Frank’s players and bosses have praised his hard work and preparation. They also said he did a good job of communicating with his players, even those who did not agree with the playing time he gives them.
Still, as the youngest head coach in the N.B.A., Frank remains unproven.
His use of reserve players has sometimes been called into question. The rookie swingman Hassan Adams has provided instant energy for the Nets. He is third in the league among rookies in points scored per 48 minutes, but Frank plays him only 5.3 minutes a game.
Adams had a breakout performance last month against the Boston Celtics (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/bostonceltics/index.html?inline=nyt-org), scoring 16 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in 23 minutes. But he played a combined 24 minutes over the next four games.
The ineffectiveness of some of Frank’s motivational tactics has been evident this season in some of the Nets’ listless performances.
Perhaps the only thing that could put Frank on shaky ground this season is the Nets falling from the playoff picture. But that is highly unlikely, in part because the Nets play in a terrible division. They are in first place in the Atlantic, and if they win the division, they are guaranteed at least the fourth seeding in the Eastern Conference in the playoffs.
Frank’s contract runs through next season. Unless he takes the Nets deep into the playoffs — probably to the N.B.A. finals — management will probably wait on giving him an extension. As long as the Nets are not winning championships, management may be willing to consider other coaches.
Frank said he has had several candid conversations with Thorn and was not worried about job security.
“That’s never ever been a fear,” Frank said. “Not because I think we’re doing such a bang-up job, but just because I don’t think you can worry about things you can’t control.”
REBOUNDS
The swingman Richard Jefferson did not travel with the Nets to Toronto because of an injured right ankle that kept him out of the second half of Wednesday’s game. Friday’s game will be the sixth that Jefferson has missed this season because of ankle problems. He twisted his left ankle Nov. 10 and missed five games. During the playoffs last season, Jefferson twisted his right ankle; the injury flared up over the summer. He said that he did not roll his right ankle against the Bucks and that he was bothered by pain that had accumulated throughout the season. The Nets gave no timetable for his return.
Nets' Slow Start Has Frank on the Warm Seat
By JOHN ELIGON
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Dec. 14 — Lawrence Frank entered the Nets (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/newjerseynets/index.html?inline=nyt-org)’ locker room before a recent game walking in reverse and wearing his suit backward. He then stripped to his underwear, put the suit back on correctly and turned to face the team.
“Basically, the message was, it’s time to turn things around,” Frank, the Nets’ coach, said after practice Thursday.
By the time he got to that message, however, the players were aching with laughter.
“We all fell out, the whole team,” the swingman Antoine Wright said as he chuckled. “He’s always coming in with these silly, terrible speeches that don’t get anybody riled up. But that one was one of the best. That one was funny.”
The Nets had entered that game against the Memphis Grizzlies (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/memphisgrizzlies/index.html?inline=nyt-org) on Monday night as losers of three in a row and 9 of 11. In starting the season much slower than expected, the Nets had rising tension and pressure. Frank simply wanted his team to relax.
Wright said: “It was like a sigh of relief. It’s O.K. to laugh.”
The Nets (9-12) responded with a dominant performance in a 105-92 victory against the Grizzlies and with another 13-point win, 108-95, against the Milwaukee Bucks (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/milwaukeebucks/index.html?inline=nyt-org) on Wednesday night. They play the Raptors (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/torontoraptors/index.html?inline=nyt-org) in Toronto on Friday night. How much of the Nets’ recent success can be attributed to Frank’s moonwalk is debatable. But Frank, 36, must continue to find ways to reach his players because, in his third full season as the coach, he must prove that his message still resonates with them.
In each season that Frank has started as the Nets’ coach, they have been below .500 through 21 games. They were 9-12 last season before winning 10 consecutive games.
Although the Nets are not playing up to expectations, Frank’s job appears to be safe for the rest of this season. Rod Thorn, the team president, said Thursday that his confidence in Frank had not wavered.
“I think Lawrence does a terrific job,” Thorn said. “He’s always looking for ways to inspire people and motivate people. He’s not going to give up just because things haven’t gone swimmingly.”
Frank has a regular-season record of 125-100. He has led the Nets to the Atlantic Division title twice and past the first round of the N.B.A. playoffs in two of three appearances.
Frank’s players and bosses have praised his hard work and preparation. They also said he did a good job of communicating with his players, even those who did not agree with the playing time he gives them.
Still, as the youngest head coach in the N.B.A., Frank remains unproven.
His use of reserve players has sometimes been called into question. The rookie swingman Hassan Adams has provided instant energy for the Nets. He is third in the league among rookies in points scored per 48 minutes, but Frank plays him only 5.3 minutes a game.
Adams had a breakout performance last month against the Boston Celtics (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/bostonceltics/index.html?inline=nyt-org), scoring 16 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in 23 minutes. But he played a combined 24 minutes over the next four games.
The ineffectiveness of some of Frank’s motivational tactics has been evident this season in some of the Nets’ listless performances.
Perhaps the only thing that could put Frank on shaky ground this season is the Nets falling from the playoff picture. But that is highly unlikely, in part because the Nets play in a terrible division. They are in first place in the Atlantic, and if they win the division, they are guaranteed at least the fourth seeding in the Eastern Conference in the playoffs.
Frank’s contract runs through next season. Unless he takes the Nets deep into the playoffs — probably to the N.B.A. finals — management will probably wait on giving him an extension. As long as the Nets are not winning championships, management may be willing to consider other coaches.
Frank said he has had several candid conversations with Thorn and was not worried about job security.
“That’s never ever been a fear,” Frank said. “Not because I think we’re doing such a bang-up job, but just because I don’t think you can worry about things you can’t control.”
REBOUNDS
The swingman Richard Jefferson did not travel with the Nets to Toronto because of an injured right ankle that kept him out of the second half of Wednesday’s game. Friday’s game will be the sixth that Jefferson has missed this season because of ankle problems. He twisted his left ankle Nov. 10 and missed five games. During the playoffs last season, Jefferson twisted his right ankle; the injury flared up over the summer. He said that he did not roll his right ankle against the Bucks and that he was bothered by pain that had accumulated throughout the season. The Nets gave no timetable for his return.