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Jason Kidd has had it rough in his first year as coach of the Brooklyn Nets. He started the season by missing the first two games as punishment for a driving under the influence charge. His team has been decimated by injuries, which has contributed to its terrible record. He was fined $50,000 for faking a soda spill to force a stop in play. Now, he has banished top assistant Lawrence Frank over a conflict of philosophy.
Before losing at home to the Denver Nuggets, Kidd said he relegated Frank to “doing daily reports” and exiled him from the bench during games.
“This is the decision that I had to make and we made it and we move on Tuesday,” Kidd said. “This is my decision in the sense of what I had to do. It’s about basketball. That’s it.”
“Just different philosophies. That’s all. We’ll figure out how to stop people [on defense].”
They did not figure it out Tuesday, losing 111-87 to the Nuggets. One coaching source told ESPN.com that the Nets ultimately concluded — as much as they want an experienced coach at Kidd’s side to “guide him”–Frank’s insistence on telling Kidd “what to do” did not sit well with the rookie coach.
Nets management supported Kidd’s decision, even as Frank has a six-year deal worth approximately $6 million, according to two league sources. The deal includes a position within the organization for the final two years of his contract, sources say. Frank’s contract is worth $1 million in each of the first two seasons and $1.65 million in each of the third and fourth years of the contract.
