Nothing but Nets? No, Nothing Doing with the Nets.
The Nets in dealing Jeff McInnis for Bernard Robinson to the Bobcats is much ado about nothing.
Truthfully McInnis did not get along with Lawrence Frank and did not play well coming off the bench in the early part of last year. So essentially, the Nets got something for nothing.
But if the truth be also told, Lawrence Frank lost this team last year and has been going downhill ever since he was hired in the 2004-2005 season. But is it more Frank, or more the players?
When Frank took over for Byron Scott the Nets were playing up to a level of mediocrity.
They then reeled off 14 straight victories, 13 to start Frank’s career. They were fundamentally playing better basketball.
But after losing in the second round against the Pistons, they started off the 2005-2006 season rather poorly, lazily playing poor defense and losing to the Heat in the first round of the playoffs.
This year they have again started off the season poorly.
Now a case can be made that during this period, there had been injuries to Kidd, Jefferson, Mourning and now Kristic. Moreover, a replacement for Kenyon Martin has never been truly addressed; though a case can be made that the Nets had room for Carter once Martin was gone.
But the sad truth is that the Nets are too full of themselves to give a proper defensive effort or to play hard for forty-eight minutes, much less a game that goes into overtime.
Does the fault lie with Frank or with his players?
It probably lies with both.
So what is one to do?
It’s always easier to fire the coach then to go out and acquire new players. However, I’m afraid neither action will truly rectify the situation. I’m afraid the Nets will not be competing for a championship anytime soon.
The Nets in dealing Jeff McInnis for Bernard Robinson to the Bobcats is much ado about nothing.
Truthfully McInnis did not get along with Lawrence Frank and did not play well coming off the bench in the early part of last year. So essentially, the Nets got something for nothing.
But if the truth be also told, Lawrence Frank lost this team last year and has been going downhill ever since he was hired in the 2004-2005 season. But is it more Frank, or more the players?
When Frank took over for Byron Scott the Nets were playing up to a level of mediocrity.
They then reeled off 14 straight victories, 13 to start Frank’s career. They were fundamentally playing better basketball.
But after losing in the second round against the Pistons, they started off the 2005-2006 season rather poorly, lazily playing poor defense and losing to the Heat in the first round of the playoffs.
This year they have again started off the season poorly.
Now a case can be made that during this period, there had been injuries to Kidd, Jefferson, Mourning and now Kristic. Moreover, a replacement for Kenyon Martin has never been truly addressed; though a case can be made that the Nets had room for Carter once Martin was gone.
But the sad truth is that the Nets are too full of themselves to give a proper defensive effort or to play hard for forty-eight minutes, much less a game that goes into overtime.
Does the fault lie with Frank or with his players?
It probably lies with both.
So what is one to do?
It’s always easier to fire the coach then to go out and acquire new players. However, I’m afraid neither action will truly rectify the situation. I’m afraid the Nets will not be competing for a championship anytime soon.
posted by judah h | 8:14 PM
2 Comments:
Frank was hired in the 03-04 season, which was the year the Nets lost to the Pistons in the second round. This post misses the entire 04-05 season, and also inaccurately states that the Nets lost to the Heat in the first round of the 05-06 playoffs.
I stand corrected.
The beginning of the post was referring to 03-04.
The first round loss to the Heat was in 2004-05.
The Nets lost to the Heat in the second round in '06.
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