by: Leslie Monteiro | Staff Writers - NY Sports Day | Friday, January 30 2004
I am very angry that Byron Scott got fired. It’s a damn shame he was made a scapegoat for the Nets problems. This has nothing to do with coaching. The Nets have been disappointing because there were many factors on and off the court. It’s tough to overcome these types of distractions especially with the future of this team in limbo as far as where they are going to play. The two-time defending Eastern Conference champions have struggled because their rebounding has been bad all year and their bench has been atrocious. The Nets have guys who are under performing all year like Jason Collins and Rodney Rogers. You can’t blame that on the coach.
I was not surprised or shocked that Scott was fired because it was coming, but I have a problem with him being fired. He has done a great job as the coach of the Nets. Scott is the winningest coach in Nets history and he is the only Nets coach that got the franchise to the Finals, but he was not appreciated from Jason Kidd, fans, and ownership. What else can the coach possibly do? He does not have a great center or have a guy like KG or Tim Duncan. Has he made mistakes? Sure, but you know what all coaches make mistakes. The bottom line is Scott won more than he lost. That has to say something. Too bad some people can't appreciate his work.
It was obvious that Jason Kidd got Scott fired because he has not been a fan of the coach for a long time. That is too bad. Quite frankly, I have had it with Kidd's act. I am fed up with him whining about coaches and getting them fired. Just who the hell is he? You know sooner or later, the Nets new coach Lawrence Frank, who is 2-0, will run into problems with Kidd. It's bound to happen.
The Nets did him a favor firing Scott even though it should never have happened. He can take some time off and get ready to coach next year. Scott was not coming back next year one way or another. Will he be a head coach in the NBA next year? I hope so and I think he will. Scott is a great coach and teams should hire him if there is a vacancy. I think he would be a great fit with teams like Phoenix, Minnesota if they lose in the first round again, Atlanta and maybe the Lakers if Phil Jackson all of sudden calls it quits. With that said, he is in no position to cherry-pick his job like Phil Jackson or even Rick Carlisle considering he has proven that he can't win without the best players. Add to the fact that he has been able to win games because his assistants do the dirty work, according to the media. I think he has to prove to some critics that he can make more with less talent even though I think it is ludicrous because players win games, not coaches. We will see what happens.
As for Coach Frank, good luck to him. He has worked hard to be in this position. With that said, I am not sure if the Nets situation was right for him. He was better off coaching elsewhere.
It's just another tragic day for this Nets organization that has been familiar with tragedy forever.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
1) Whoever thinks that the Super Bowl will be boring is way off base. I think it’s going to be exciting even if it’s low-scoring.
2) I love hearing Panthers coach John Fox speak. He gets me going whenever I watch his press conferences. It would be neat to see him coach the Giants or the Jets one-day.
3) What the Carolina Panthers have done this year is pretty amazing. It’s good to see them succeed after years of failures and tragedy. Carolina’s success is what sports should be all about.
4) I can’t believe Atlanta Hawks head coach Terry Stotts has outstayed ex-Nets coach Byron Scott and ex-Celtics coach Jim O’Brien. I never would have thought he would still be coaching despite the fact he has done as bad a job as ex-Knicks coach Don Chaney.
5) Does this make sense? Byron Scott gets fired even though the Nets went to the Finals twice in the last two years yet Rangers head coach Glen Sather is still the coach, GM, and the president of hockey operations. Even though the Rangers have yet to reach the playoffs under his watch.
6) Speaking of Sather, it’s remarkable that he is still arrogant and condescending to the media and the fans. You would think he would have some humility with all the losses that he accumulated, but that is not the case. He should be ashamed of himself for ripping the fans when they pay their hard-earned money to see their team when the team provides no value to the fans.
7) Andy Murray is the antithesis of Glen Sather. The L.A. Kings are playing well and they are right there for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference despite the fact that team has been savaged with injuries for the second straight season. It’s a tribute to the job that Coach Murray has done.
8) I really love the way the Nashville Predators are playing. They could be this year’s Anaheim or Philadelphia. Whoever plays them in the Western Conference playoffs will have their hands full.
9) Hopefully, this recent concussion won’t mean the end of Lindros’s hockey career. He has been one of the few positives for the Rangers.
10) Kevin Garnett should be the NBA’s MVP
11) Why do fans still love Vince Carter? He has done nothing in the last few years to earn an All-Star Status.
12) I think this is the year the Minnesota Timberwolves will go to the second round of the playoffs.
13) Hubie Brown is my NBA Coach of the Year. Did anyone think he would have this type of success?
14) Nets don’t have to worry about attendance problems at the Continental Airlines Arena. They won’t draw 5,000 in the regular season and playoffs like Charlotte did when the Hornets was a lame-duck franchise on the move to New Orleans. Most fans in New Jersey will likely root for the Nets as a lame-duck franchise in New Jersey and they will root for the Nets even when they move to Brooklyn.
15) I want to extend my thanks to Mike Kozlowski , webmaster of JoeNetsFan.com, for the rally to keep the Nets in New Jersey. He did a great job orchestrating the rally and I want to thank him for letting me be part of it. I had a great time.
16) What was Aaron Boone thinking playing a pickup basketball game with spring training right around the horizon? He kissed his Yankee career good-bye. At least, he will have a soft spot from the Yankees fans for his heroic Game 7 performance against the Red Sox.
17) Carolina 17 Patriots 14
