Fire Lawrence Frank! Now!

I can't believe that Lawrence Frank still has a job with the New Jersey Nets. We can add tonight's four-point loss in Philadelphia to the "if I was coaching the Nets we would have won" category. Let's get to the specifics:

The Nets were trailing by seven at halftime, only to go on a furious third-quarter run that turned the tides and gave them an eight point lead. Credit the run's success to Vince Carter, Devin Harris, Boki Nachbar and Josh Boone. So, shortly after the Nets' lead extends to eight and the Sixers call a timeout, Frank takes out Harris, Nachbar and Boone...

Enter Marcus Williams, Richard Jefferson and Trenton Hassell. Yes, Trenton Hassell. And if you're wondering, yes...he did airball his first and only shot attempt of the evening. Not a joke. Williams proceeded to commit two crucial turnovers and Jefferson struggled to get going all night.

I blinked, and we were behind in the early stages of the fourth quarter. I know NBA guys need their rest, but this was the biggest game of the season for the Nets and Frank failed to ride the rush. Should have left VC, Harris, Boki and Boone out there until their play indicated fatigue or the Sixers began to turn it around on the scoreboard.

Neither was the case when Frank made his costly substitutions.

Frank's decision-making was equally as horrible or worse in the fourth. He overplayed the physically ailing Nenad Krstic, who allowed Samuel Dalembert to rip down 18 rebounds, including four or five critical bounds in the final three minutes. Krstic is far from athletic, and throw in a pair of bad knees -- how the hell is he supposed to stay with the younger, longer, quicker, more explosive Dalembert?

Krstic had no shot. Frank had two athletic options on the bench -- rookie Sean Williams and the enigmatic Stromile Swift -- but he failed to pull the trigger and play the match-up. Instead he left Krstic out there to rot and when Carter missed a potential game-tying three in the final 25 seconds, Krstic got outjumped by Dalembert (what a surprise) and was unable to snatch a rebound that should have been his.

Cue the annoying timeouts. A Frank trademark. This is the NBA!!! Coach, you have Carter and Jefferson, these guys can close games without one of your terrible set plays that never work. He calls a timeout for every possession in the final 1:30! The frustration on the faces of his players is as clear as the fact that he shouldn't be coaching in the NBA. Take a lesson from Phil Jackson -- the guy lets his players go, and they deliver for him.

Sure, Carter isn't Michael or Kobe, but he does have four game-winners this season. Put it in his hands, let him win the game for you -- Frank's diagrammed plays don't work anyway. Jefferson has a few game-winners too.

I can't even write about Lawrence Frank anymore. I get too frustrated even thinking about him and the way the Nets are playing this season. He coaches pros like they're a bunch of middle schoolers and he's a shell of the man he replaced -- the successful Byron Scott.

If the Nets miss the playoffs and Frank keeps his job...I'm becoming a T'Wolves fan.