Jason Kidd and Lawrence Frank are having some friction on the Brooklyn Nets’ coaching staff amid the team’s struggles this season, according to a report.
The Nets lost by 30 points to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday and have been a disappointment this season, going just 3-9. They were expected to contend for the Eastern Conference title, but they’ve had a poor start to the season. Now, Kidd, who is in his first year as a coach of any kind, is being ripped apart for his inabilities.
The New York Daily News says “there is some friction between the two longtime friends.”
A person who knows both told the Daily News’ Frank Isola that “something has changed between them.”
It would be hard for there not to be friction or tension on a coaching staff where there is talk about people potentially getting fired, so I wouldn’t panic too much over this report.
The Nets took a risk by hiring Kidd, who retired as a player after last season and never had any coaching experience, for a playoff-ready team. They figured that he could surround himself with top assistant coaches who had more experience with the daily requirements of being an NBA head coach while he caught up to speed. That plan has blown up in their face so far.
Kidd has admitted to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski this week that it can all be “overwhelming.”
I think the Nets need to relax and give Kidd time to see this through. They hired him knowing things could be bumpy to start the season, and they should not hold the last four losses against him since they essentially were without Deron Williams and Brook Lopez. They should also realize that Andrei Kirilenko has been out with a back injury.
Now if the Nets don’t start winning a few weeks after getting their whole team back healthy, then they should be seriously concerned.
