Diatribe #4 - September 29, 2005
Camp Frank
Well, I guess it's time to trot out the well-worn, time-honored ode to sports, the "what a difference a year makes" diatribe.

With Nets training camp set to begin shortly, Netsfans are getting over the nausea caused by the rollercoaster summer, and are gearing up for what could be the most talented Nets team since Jason Kidd showed up to play (can it really be year 5 of the Kidd era?).

Notice I said talented, not necessarily the best.

Oh, that's not even a criticism, because who knows how this season will shape up? It's just that after toying with each and every one of us over Shareef, there's just not that convincing thought that the Nets are set up front.

What they can do is shoot, at least better than any Nets team we've seen in the Kidd era. Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson, Jeff McInnis, Cliff Robinson, Scott Padgett, Lamond Murray and rookie Antoine Wright are capable of making open shots, and in some cases, even contested shots from long range.

Of course, whether or not the Nets can find the open man remains to be seen, but with Kidd, Carter and Jefferson on the floor, good passers all, it's not likely that the failure will be from lack of opportunity.

And it also remains to be seen if the Nets can rebound the ball, or score points inside the paint, although those issues are less frightening to imagine than the Nets suffering total breakdowns on defense.

That's why the most important person at Camp Frank just might be Coach Lawrence Frank.

Shocking statement in the world of the NBA, huh? You know, the league that's all about the players? The one that any stooge could coach is he's given the proper talent?

Well, we know from experiece that it ain't true. Try getting all the talent in the world to play together, cohesively, with one goal in mind (and it ain't padding stats). That might be the most difficult thing to do in the NBA, along with back-to-back championships.

Hell, Larry Brown coached a bunch of players, not by any means untalented but having less talent than other squads, to a championship on his brililant ability to get his players playing hard and on the same page. The following year, all his manipulations meant nothing once his team found out he wanted out, and they still nearly won another title.

That's an extreme case, but one to be noted for sure. Think the Lakers were that much worse last year talent-wise? Or did the loss of Phil Jackson, master motivator, have something to do with that?

Last year we were talking about the then-rookie coach, only it was to wonder how he was going to keep the sorry mess that was the Nets roster in contention. Only when Bruce Ratner realized what a supremely idiotic move it was to dismantle the roster did Rod Thorn get Larry some help. In the name of Vince Carter, no less. That made his job a bit easier, but not by much.

Now, despite the challenges facing him, Frank has plenty of buttons he can push to make things go. Kidd, Carter and Jefferson can be their brilliant selves, but Frank can also go with shooting, or defense, or play big, or small, or athletic, any number of combinations that can be used based on game scenarios.

And I'd be willing to bet now that Frank finds a way to get an extra 5 or 10 wins out of this team, pushing the envelope while still getting Kidd some rest and finding time to keep the rotation satisfied with minutes (oh, yeah, I'm still concerned about how McInnis handles his first sub-20 minute game, but we'll be crossing that bridge when we get there).

At the end of the day, if Frank winds up looking brilliant 15 or 20 times this season simply by trotting Kidd, Carter and Jefferson out on the floor, well, hey, he's entitled to that too.

It's those other 30 - 40 games where he'll earn his keep.

So, get those questions lined up and grill Lawrence today at 3PM at NJNets.com. I'm sure he'll be the first to tell you that he'll look very smart most of the time just having that trio around.

As for the rest of us, well, we'll have to leave the disappointment of the summer behind, and the future in Lawrence Frank's hands.

It could be worse - Byron Scott could still be around.

Here's looking forward to that first report out of Camp Frank next week. Will Zoran contribute? Will Linton Johnson III stick? Can Nenad up his inside play and continue his sharp growth curve? Can Carter and Jefferson co-exist? And on and on...

What do you think will happen in training camp? Who will surprise? Who will make the rotation? Email Joe, and we'll get 'em up next week.
-Joe

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