Whenever Nets coach Lawrence Frank was about to yank Sean Williams last night, the rookie came up with another argument to stay in the game.
“Right when you are probably about to pull him, he gets those blocks out of our pressure,” Frank said. “He’s a threat when he rolls to the rim. He obviously has length. The key is both him and us as coaches have to push him because he can obviously help us.”
Williams played 32 minutes and came up with four blocks – all in the first half – to equal his personal high.
“You’ve got to play Sean,” said Jason Kidd after the Nets’ 94-92 OT win against Philadelphia.
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Frank wanted to keep Antoine Wright‘s defense at the start of the game but bolster the second unit’s offense. So he brought Vince Carter off the bench. Carter shot 7-of-17, but scored 24 points and took a season high-tying nine rebounds.
“He was going for a different look, that’s all I know. It doesn’t matter,” Carter said. “When I get out there I just need to give us something, give a spark to the team. Either way, I’m fine.”
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Darrell Armstrong shot on his own and was moving around the court yesterday for the first time since suffering a severe thigh bruise in Boston Nov. 14.
“This was the first time. I’m not supposed to be doing it, but it felt good,” said Armstrong, who noted he might practice this week. “As a player, you always feel like once you test it out on your own you’re ready to go.”
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Coach Lawrence Frank insists Jamaal Magloire, who sat a fifth straight game, still “is part of the equation.” And with the likes of Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Eddy Curry on the opposing menu in the Nets 4-games-in-5-nights stretch, you’d figure the 7-footer will get a call. But he’s not holding his breath.
“I’m not sure. I wish I knew,” Magloire said about playing again.