NBA

Kidd simplified Nets defense after ‘long-winded’ Frank demoted

Sometimes less is more, and simpler is better. At least, that’s the case with the Nets’ scaled-back schemes that — at least appear to have — helped spark their recent resurgence.

“I’ve simplified it,’’ said rookie head coach Jason Kidd. “That’s as good as it gets, when you simplify things and guys have bought in and guys are doing it at a high level right now.’’

Kevin Garnett repeatedly has pointed to the simplified schemes, and Kidd acknowledged he scaled things back on the defensive end before the team’s Dec. 7 game against Milwaukee. The Nets were just 5-14 at the time, but they’ve won four of five since, including Monday’s 130-94 emasculation of the 76ers.

Kidd had reassigned assistant coach Lawrence Frank two games prior to that, demoting the de facto defensive coordinator to doing “daily reports.” Brooklyn coughed up 224 points in its next two games, losing to the Nuggets and Knicks by a combined 54 points. Since then, however, their defense has gone from sieve to stellar going into Wednesday’s game against the Wizards.

“Lawrence was always kind of the defensive guy, so he was talking on defense and he was definitely long-winded when it came to teaching, so I definitely think it’s helped,’’ Deron Williams said.

“We’re a veteran group, we get things pretty easily. So at times when you’re just talking and we’re not practicing, it gets a little lengthy. But I think J-Kidd does a good job of getting his points across quick and easy and then we move on.’’

Whatever his points are, he has clearly gotten them across. Since Kidd simplified things — less talking and more doing? — the Nets have held their foes to 93.6 points a game on 42.2 percent shooting from the floor.

“They want to be coached and so this is a group that — you can ask them — but they want to be coached,’’ said Kidd. “They want to be told what we’re trying to do, and when you tell them to go through it and not just once but continue to go through it so they can get better at it.’’

Frank has always been known as a very vocal, detail-oriented teacher. Kidd had some different ideas on defense — reportedly tweaking the pick-and-roll defense — and now the Nets’ communication has improved on that end of the floor.

“Yeah, I think it has,’’ Joe Johnson said. “I think we’ve been communicating. Jason’s been on us a lot, especially in practices, about communicating, talking to one another, and making everybody’s job easy.

“If we communicate, things shouldn’t be as hard. We’ve been doing that of late, and it’s been pretty good.’’

Johnson is coming off one of the more explosive quarters in NBA history in Monday’s rout. His eight 3-pointers in the third quarter matched a league record for one period and his 29 points were fifth-best all-time. Johnson said the improved defense has played a big role in the Nets’ recent success and added he can sense growth in Kidd as a coach from the start of the season to now.

“Yeah, definitely. He’s basically learned on the fly,’’ Johnson said. “So I think as each game goes, he gets better or he tweaks it a little more or he gets more vocal or whatever the case may be. He’s definitely gotten a lot better.’’