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Nets, Wolves making run at embarrassing record

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Randy Hill

Veteran columnist Randy Hill is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com.
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Updated Dec 3, 2009 9:05 PM ET
     
 
As another fresh NBA season limps toward the tryptophan-recovery phase, many casual observers may not realize that two teams are breaking quite badly.
Without further preamble, we give you the New Jersey Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves, a tag-team of woe that has produced 29 defeats in 30 games. The chase for ping-pong supremacy in the John Wall Sweepstakes has begun. And we'll start in the Jersey swamp land, where the Nets check in at 0-15. Before attempting to define this disaster, let's take a look at what level of league history the Nets are teasing. According to the scrolls, the Nets obviously are well within striking range of the all-time flop recorded by the 1972-'73 Philadelphia 76ers, who came home with only nine victories in 82 regular-season dates. Coaching responsibility for the Sixers' losses was split by Roy Rubin and Kevin Loughery. The roster included such NBA luminaries as Fred "Mad Dog" Carter (whose nickname preceded the team's predicament), John Block, LeRoy Ellis, Bill Bridges and Tom Van Arsdale. Those Sixers managed to average 104 points per game, but in the situational defensive climate of the time (guard someone on the last few possessions), they coughed up an average of 12 more points than they accumulated. For immediate futility, the Nets are closing in on the 0-17 starts turned in by the 1988 Miami Heat and a Los Angeles Clippers crew that didn't win until the 18th game after a lockout was completed in 1999. The L.A. crisis was not difficult to imagine when we point out that new head coach Chris Ford had the unstoppable Lamond Murray as his toughest offensive customer at crunch time. Anyway, Nets Coach Lawrence Frank, a former team manager for Bob Knight at Indiana, started his head coaching career with New Jersey by winning the first 14 games after taking over for Byron Scott. Like many coaches, Frank is a basketball guy often seduced by the thinking of his associates or by prevailing wisdom applied elsewhere. For example, past affiliation with ex-Princeton coach Pete Carril inspired several offensive sets predicated on spread-the-floor deployment and back cuts. Frank also has incorporated a few aspects of Vance Wahlberg's popular dribble-drive-motion offense (Vance's title is a lot more clumsy, so the current name was applied by John Calipari). But even with a lot of tried-and-true tactics at their disposal, the Nets rank 30th in offensive efficiency. New Jersey is producing only 92.6 points per 100 possessions, but is playing at a pace that generates a measly 91.7 possessions per 48 minutes. Despite playing reasonable defense at times, the Nets are losing by an average of 10 points per night. A great deal of credit for this struggle is a groin injury that has kept point guard Devin Harris out of action for all but three of the Nets' defeats. Frank's dream of an offensive salvo also has been disturbed by a knee injury for Yi Jianlian. Harris (who recently returned) averaged 21 points per game last season; Yi gave Frank about 9. With Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson now working for the Orlando Magic and Courtney Lee teaming with Rafer Alston to score a combined 22 in their place, Frank now finds himself as an endangered coach species. If he's a goner before attempting to coach this bunch with a healthy Harris, the next guy can build around the aforementioned young players and two other swell pieces. Those are second-year center Brook Lopez, who's averaging 17 points per game, and rookie swingman Terrence Williams, a versatile sort who's averaging about 10. And if things continue to go poorly in East Rutherford but really great in Secaucus, the Nets may be able to build around John Wall next season. Speaking of building, owner Mikhail D. Prokhorov and his billions have been informed that one legal hurdle to constructing the team's new arena in Brooklyn has been removed. Full steam ahead. While we're making injury explanations, now taking a bow are the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have gone 1-14 without second-year post player Kevin Love. Love, whose rookie year accelerated when Kevin McHale moved from the office to the bench, was expected to miss 6 to 8 weeks with a fractured left wrist. The good news is that Al Jefferson has returned last season's big injury and lost a few pounds for first-year coach Kurt Rambis. The bad news is that Al's playmates in the starting lineup are Ryan Gomes, Corey Brewer, rookie Jonny Flynn and, quite often, Ryan Hollins. That's not exactly combination domination. Flynn, one of two T-Wolves lottery picks at point guard, is giving Rambis 13 points per game and appears capable of flashing some NBA bona fides. But while starting in front of Ramon Sessions, Flynn — whose listed height of 6-foot amuses many up-close observers — is providing more turnovers than assists. So, he's been unable to prevent Minnesota from ranking 29th in offensive efficiency and effective field-goal percentage. Rambis, whose NBA coaching bones were made working as (first) and embattled Los Angeles Lakers head coach standing between Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant then assisting Phil Jackson, has been unable to coax much defense. While awaiting the return of Love, the T-Wolves probably take no solace in being reminded that their only win was accomplished at the expense of the New Jersey Nets. But we prefer looking at the bright side of things around here, so it's time to remind everyone that with a goal of achieving at least 10 history-skipping victories, the NBA is loaded with teams capable of losing on any given night.
Tagged: Courtney Lee, Kevin Love, Terrence Williams, Devin Harris, Ryan Gomes, Clippers, Al Jefferson, Vince Carter, Lakers, Heat, Timberwolves, Nets, Jonny Flynn, Ramon Sessions, Kobe Bryant, Magic, Shaquille O'Neal, Brook Lopez, Yi Jianlian, Ryan Hollins, Corey Brewer, Cavaliers, Ryan Anderson

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