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November 23, 2009
West coast trip brings week of reckoning for NJ Nets coach Lawrence Frank
The Star-Ledger
by Dave D'Alessandro
As this silly season drags on, [Lawrence Frank's] job becomes less relevant. Everyone knew all along that he was set up to fail. Everyone knew they told him he’d have the pieces to compete – until they decided not to touch the roster or spend a dime after draft night. Everyone knew they told him he can choose who gets to play, until they told him who has to play. Everyone knew they told him it that wins really wouldn’t matter – until they would matter. Everyone knew they told him he’d learn to live without Vince, but that he should still figure out how to win a two-minute game without his only closer.
Sometimes you even wonder whether having a coach even matters around here.
...Because if [Rod] Thorn is honest about why they’re in this ditch, he’ll admit that it’s ownership – not the coach – who has ordered him to sit on his wallet and dump his best players for inferior or less durable talents.
It’s ownership – not the coach – that has this team entombed in a cement slab on the side of a highway rather than a vibrant, state-of-the-sport facility that could actually generate some excitement.
And it’s ownership – not the coach -- that is messing with Thorn’s legacy, and don’t think that part doesn’t irritate everyone who reveres The Boss inside the organization and around the NBA.
NoLandGrab: And it's ownership that is... Bruce Ratner!
Posted by eric at November 23, 2009 9:39 AM