Details are starting to emerge over what caused the recent demotion of Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Lawrence Frank. When Jason Kidd was named the team's new head coach, it was Frank that was expected to stabilize the team as Kidd worked through his very first coaching experience. Except after the first few months of the season, it appears Kidd and Frank could not get a long and a blowout fight caused some moving around of the coaching staff.
According to the New York Post, Kidd allegedly used "a 13-letter word" expletive rant following a loss to the Orland Magic on Nov. 3. It was believed the two were having "philosophical differences" in terms of coaching techniques and this fight was just the tipping point.
"Sit the (expletive) down! I'm the coach of this (13-letter word) team! When you're on the bench, don't (expletive) move," Kidd said, via NBA.com.
Frank was reportedly told that his expected behavior during games was to sit on the bench and not be active. Now the assistant has been reassigned and will no longer be present during team games. He was given a reduced role of just handing in daily reports. He will no longer help run practices. The move came as a shock considering Frank signed a six-year, $6 million contract to be Kidd's mentor and defensive coordinator. He has hired a lawyer and will seek a buyout.
Players have been relatively quiet on the matter. Everyone has vocally supported Kidd as the team's coach while dancing around the topic of the Frank demotion.
"You know, I don't know," Paul Pierce said Monday, via ESPN.com. "That's something for the coaching staff, I think. He worked hard, he did the things that they asked him to do that I thought were on the court. But obviously some behind-the-scenes things that probably went down that didn't go well with the coaches and that's why the decision was made."
Without Frank, the Nets are 1-2. The squad has been decimated by injuries to the starting lineup and key bench players. Brooklyn is set to face the Boston Celtics on Tuesday and could be getting some much needed relief. Both Paul Pierce and Deron Williams are expected back in the lineup which could give Brooklyn a much needed boost on both ends of the court.
