INDIANAPOLIS — Twenty-two games in, and the Nets pretty much are moving right along with training camp.
For 16 games under Lawrence Frank (all losses), the Nets always were incorporating new bodies into the schemes because of an injury array that was freakish.
Frank wanted to run, his runners were hurt. Now Kiki Vandeweghe wants to run even more, but his team is slowly getting in shape and getting familiar.
Sometimes it has worked. Going into tonight against the Pacers (7:00, YES, WBBR-1130 AM), the Nets are 2-2 under Vandeweghe, 2-20 overall, including 0-2 under interim coach Tom Barrise.
Sometimes it hasn’t worked. Witness the ghastly 22-turnover nightmare loss to the Warriors on Wednesday.
“We’re just going to fight through it,” Devin Harris said about getting the offense in sync. “When we put some practices together, we’ll address it. But until then, we’ll go on the fly and see what works and go with it that night.”
Oh, yeah, practices. They’re at a premium, given the NBA schedule. Kind of tough to have full practices and then play.
“We’re trying to throw things into shoot-arounds and short practices,” Harris added. “We have a stretch coming up where we have time.”
That time would be Christmas Week. Just what the Nets want under the tree. Tie. iPod. Three-hour practice.
“No question, it’s taking a while for it all to settle in,” Vandeweghe said. “It’s a little bit of a different way of doing things. I want more movement and I want to run more. You don’t do it overnight.”
And it wouldn’t be bad if some players also found their shots under the tree.
“Offensively, we can be pretty good,” said team president Rod Thorn.
“Kiki is emphasizing pushing the ball. But we have been challenged to make shots (.413, last, .266 on threes, also last).”
Vandeweghe second-guessed his timeouts Wednesday, when the Nets led by 10 late in the first quarter, trailed by 10 at halftime.
“I probably should have called more, but I’m trying to get these guys going individually,” he said. “Let them play through that [adversity] and let them figure it out.”
One guy specifically he wants to figure things out is rookie Terrence Williams, who was benched for a second straight game. Williams, struggling with his shot and defense, was late for the shoot-around in Chicago (by six minutes, missed the bus, automatic fine). Vandeweghe, who stresses youth development, likely will lift his ban tonight.
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Thorn said the team was “still looking into” whether Williams would be fined for his negative Twitter posts. As for other disciplinary actions, Thorn said it is a team matter. . . . Thorn had no comment on proposed move to Newark, saying, “Wherever they tell us to play, we’ll play.”