By FRED KERBER
So Jarvis Hayes was all set to finally practice again and do some 5-on-0 non-contact work, up and down the court.
And he got sick. So he went home.
The Nets will get their guys together at some point. Right now, the over/under is St. Patrick’s Day.
“It makes it tough,” offered Vince Carter. “We want to get everybody in and on the same page. If there’s a good side to it, several of our veteran guys who’ve been around kind of understand how to play.”
It’s just they might never understand how it works with these new group. The Nets just walked through some stuff today, played some shooting games after. Even if Lawrence Frank had planned a full blown practice, it would have been tough.
Josh Boone is out. He will see the doctor again tomorrow about his rapid heartbeat. Stromile Swift remains in the infirmary with a bruised lower back. He’s taking muscle relaxers and pain killers. Eduardo Najera did some of that 5-on-0 work that was no danger to his wrist, but there’s no timetable for his return. Hayes has been out with a hamstring problem, now is sick. And Keyon Dooling is on antibiotics after missing Monday’s game against the Knicks with a bug.
Well, like they say. At least they have their health, er car keys.
* * *
Frank on Najera: “Still a little bit away because the wrist is not quite right. We want to get it right. No firm timetable. He desperately wants to play. We have to do the prudent thing.”
* * *
Frank is facing a rather sticky chore when it comes to the rotation. He has to win first and foremost. But first and foremost paragraph B is developing the young players. And here’s where it could be difficult. So many young players handle duplicate spots. Brook Lopez and Josh Boone and Ryan Anderson and Sean Williams and Yi Jianlian are all fours and fives.
Frank was honest about it today. Not everyone is going to play.
“The goal is to put together the best possible team and also develop all the players. And the reality is what’s going to be the best way to develop them?” Frank began. “Is it to split time between guys, or some guys playing and some not, still developing them but wait their turn? You can’t sit on the fence. You have to commit, and the other guys have to be ready.
“You’re still working on their skills every day, but they understand going in that barring foul trouble or injury, they’re not going to get significant minutes. They’re either going to be in the rotation or outside the rotation.”
Frank said he has it down what his rotation number will be in Washington one week from tomorrow when the Nets’ second straight losing season officially begins. But he doesn’t want to say until his players know.
The starters – and this is part logic, part guesswork, part common sense: Carter and Harris, Yi and Simmons. At center, barring the doctors shutting him down, Josh Boone will probably begin the year starting. Brook Lopez will finish the year starting there.
* * *
After five games, the Nets are 2-3. They’re shooting .440, allowing .448 and have been outscored 99.6 to 94.8. They’re forcing 21.2 turnovers but committing 20.4. And assists? Just 14.9 per. So whaddaya like about this bunch, coach?
“Every one of our young guys has had a real good moment in preseason. You need to have success to have confidence,” Frank said. “With the exception of maybe one or two, practices have been very good.”
And then Frank started noting areas that need improvement.
Right, gonna be a long year.
* * *
Stephon Marbury Daily Mention: Nets play the 76ers tomorrow. Stephon Marbury will not start or come off the bench for either team.
* * *
Just wanted to mention I’m using a new computer and this is taking roughly the time needed to build the Brooklyn Bridge. We did figure out the whole plug thing, though. I am however on a first name basis with our computer techs now.
* * *
Sean Williams might want to rent, not buy. It sounds like the second year forward is plunging on the depth chart. He was the talk of the early camp. His athleticism stood out. His shot-blocking excelled. But in games, he has struggled — .267 shooting (4-of-15), 16 points, 15 rebounds, 14 fouls in 74 minutes.
“It’s not so much numbers as impact on the game,” Frank said, stressing blocks, transition scores.
The coach stressed Williams was the best big in Boston Sunday. Not the best anything Monday.
“To me what justifies it is consistency…We’re looking for it in practice, too. He started off practice very well, and it’s maintaining that high level. He set the bar high. There’s a lot of guys out there. The reality is that not everybody is going to be able to play. That’s the deal. And whether he’s one of the those guys is to be determined.”
* * *
Useless fact of the day: In 1967, Jimi Hendrix seven times was the opening act for…The Monkees.