In the 'Zzone

Get Busy, Kiki

Kiki Vandeweghe is the new general manager of the Nets, as expected.

The Nets were happy with him and Kiki with them so it was an inevitable marriage. Now Vandeweghe must work on repairing this team.

He’s already started as he was instrumental in the Jason Kidd-to-Dallas trade for Devin Harris, et al. But as Vandeweghe said in his opening remarks on the conference call announcing his new contract and general manager’s title, “We’ve still go a lot of work to do, which I’m excited about. I’m looking forward to getting right at it.”

Kiki's a Keeper

The Nets are set to announce that Kiki Vandeweghe has a new contract and a new title, which should come as no surprise.

The organization likes Vandeweghe and the work he's done since replacing popular Ed Stefanski when he left to become the president of the Philadelphia 76ers.

As Rod Thorn's special assistant, Vandeweghe helped do the leg work on the Jason Kidd-to-Dallas trade. Vandeweghe also has been scouting players for the draft and just returned from the European championships.

Carter Has Ankle Scoped

Vince Carter had surgery on his right ankle today that involved the removal of loose bodies, a bone spur and a debridement of the ankle.

I had to look that one up and according to wikipedia.org debridement is a medical term referring to the removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue to improve the healing potential of the remaining healthy tissue.

Postseason President Address

Here is the Cliff Notes version of Rod Thorn’s postseason meeting with beat reporters today:

• Vince Carter “very probably” will have surgery on his right ankle.

• Kiki Vandeweghe will have his contract extended and his title changed to something along the lines of general manager.

• The Nets want to re-sign their three free agents (Bostjan Nachbar, Nenad Krstic and DeSagana Diop). But all three are expected to have plenty of suitors.

• And the Nets need a lot of improving – defensively and with their shooting - from within and from the outside.

Clean-up Day

It was closing time at the Nets’ practice facility today and the coach fell on a sword.

You can read about it more on the print side tomorrow, but suffice it to say he was brutally honest with his mea culpa.

Lawrence Frank used words like “empty” and “lonely” to describe how he felt about not breaking down film and preparing for a playoff game and said he “failed,” in getting the Nets to buy into his vision of how they have to play. Few could argue that. I guess I should have graded him harsher.

The Final Grades

Here are the final grades for the 34-48 Nets. We are excluding those who have left.

Some of you probably will say I graded too kindly or on a curve because this team failed and for that everyone should fail. Here goes:

Closing Time

It’s over. And now begins an offseason filled with questions and more than likely change.

This time, and for the first time in six years, the Nets aren’t building around Jason Kidd. That makes the job even tougher, but it has to be done.

The Nets ended their most disappointing season since I’ve been around them (1996) with a 105-94 loss to the Celtics at TD Banknorth Garden. They closed out the grossly underachieving campaign with a 34-48 record, 10th worst in the NBA.

Jefferson's Slamming Home Finale

Richard Jefferson may have played his final home game as a Net last night and if so he went out in style.

Jefferson could return but the Nets definitely will see if they can get something for him, something that makes them better. It’s their annual offseason right and rite and this time they might be successful in moving him because of the season he’s had.

He put an exclamation point on his best individual pro season in the 112-108 overtime victory against the Bobcats.

The Final Practice

The Nets held their last practice of the season today. They will have their last shootaround tomorrow.

Despite not making the playoffs, it’s business as usual.

Coach Lawrence Frank is not running his team like Isiah Thomas has on the other side of the Hudson by calling off practices and holding 18-minute shootarounds. The Nets coach doesn’t care about the team’s ping-pong balls when it comes to his mission for the last two games.

Sean Sits Again

Lawrence Frank is coaching to win games, and apparently doesn’t think Sean Williams can help him.

This is a time when you would think the rookie could get some valuable experience

“Playing time,” Frank said about Williams, “that’s coach’s decision.”