Nets set to fire Frank early this week

[Basketballgirl25]

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

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

[pauls931]

I read the le as "Nets set fire to Frank early this week". 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
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.