Small Is Big
It was the most oft-asked question of the preseason: With a full stable of healthy, capable big men, how would Coach Frank distribute the minutes among them? Who would get to play?
Would you believe none of them?
OK, that’s a little overly dramatic. Obviously, all the big men have seen court time in the early going. However, three games into the 2007-08 season, Coach Frank has shown a surprising penchant for going small—that is, playing a lineup consisting of four of Kidd, Armstrong, Carter, Wright, RJ, and Boki, anchored by a center. As Dr. Seuss might have put it:
ALL
SMALL
All Small Play Ball.
Dr. Naismith, on the other hand, might just have asked: Does it work? Let’s look at the numbers:
As far as I can tell, the Nets have used a small lineup for just over 70 total minutes, or an incredible 47% of game time. That includes a full minute when Coach Frank used a lineup consisting of FIVE smalls (two separate lineups for thirty seconds each). More importantly, the small lineups have done pretty well, accumulating a combined plus-fifteen. The obvious beneficiary of this trend has been none other than lame-duck Antoine Wright, who is averaging 27 minutes a game, up from 18 a year ago (and just nine as a rookie).
The most common small units used have been:
• Kidd-Carter-Wright-Jefferson-Collins, 17 minutes and 23 seconds, plus-nine
• Armstrong-Carter-Wright-Nachbar-Magloire, 11 minutes and six seconds, minus-one
• Kidd, Wright, Jefferson, Nachbar, Krstic, 7 minutes and 21 seconds, plus-five
• Armstrong, Wright, Jefferson, Nachbar, S. Williams, three minutes and 44 seconds, plus-seven
• Kidd, Carter, Jefferson, Nachbar, S. Williams, three minutes and nine seconds, minus-eight
• Kidd, Carter, Jefferson, Nachbar, Boone, three minutes and one second, plus-three
For those who consider Nachbar a borderline "big," if we remove him from the analysis, we discover that the Nets have used combinations consisting of four of Kidd, Armstrong, Carter, Wright, and Jefferson for 24 and a half minutes—one-sixth of total game time—and such combinations have earned a plus-12 rating. Can we expect this trend to continue, or was Coach Frank just playing the best matchups against a particular opponent? Once Krstic works his way into playing shape, and Magloire and Malik Allen become more familiar with the Nets’ system, will Coach Frank’s use of these small lineups diminish? Perhaps a better question might be: Forget about the big men; once Marcus Williams returns, how will Coach Frank work all the smalls into the lineup? That’s something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.
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I was disappointed when they extended Frank. He may be a good x’s and o’s guy and a great lead assistant but as far as I’m concerned, he does not manage the rotation well, does not execute strategy-things that a head coah does. How does a team lay an egg like Friday in the second game of the season, at home after a good win? It reflects on the coach as much as the players.
I wish there was another option.
by Peter on Nov 5, 2007 10:01 AM EST reply actions
One of Frank’s biggest weakness is his love affair with Jason Colis, man, when are they getting married? LOL
by Darren on Nov 5, 2007 4:11 PM EST reply actions
I tend to agree… Good guy, terrific assistant…but not the type of coach who leads anything less than a great team to a championship
by Ted W on Nov 5, 2007 4:13 PM EST reply actions
Why is no one talking about how the Nets did not pick up the 4th year option on wright… how could no one see this coming… i was just waiting for wright to get some pt and now when he does we are going to lose him just like we lost hassan adams because we have no brains…. and yes i kno we dropped adams just so we didnt go over the cap, but he had a good rookie campaign and couldve definitely helped us out this year…
by job on Nov 5, 2007 6:21 PM EST reply actions
Wright is not a lame duck. The Nets still have a right of first refusal.
Thorn probably decided that he’d play better this year if it was a contract year. So far, he’s right.
by nat on Nov 6, 2007 10:51 PM EST reply actions
Nets do NOT have the right of first refusal. He is an unrestricted free agent.
by NetIncome on Nov 8, 2007 5:19 PM EST reply actions

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