NBA

Nets coach: Sitting Lopez was ‘not a good practice’

As far as inspired designs go, benching your All-Star center in three of the past four fourth quarters is one part Edsel, one part New Coke, one part “Gigli.”

And Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo is acutely aware of that in his recent handling of Brook Lopez.

“It’s probably something that I don’t want to do in the future,” Carlesimo said yesterday after the Nets practiced for tonight’s game in New Orleans against the Hornets of today — or the Pelicans of tomorrow.

Carlesimo admitted the move is “not a good practice.” He said the latest decision to leave Lopez on the bench, in Sunday’s 76-72 loss to Memphis, was more game-flow and circumstance than a lack of faith in his All-Star.

Andray Blatche was going well and then it got to where Lopez had sat for an extended time. So Carlesimo stayed with Blatche and other reserves whose play forged a lead.

But the lead evaporated — then the game. Second guessing became the rage. Carlesimo, acknowledging he “created the situation and it’s not a good situation,” has one major point on his side: Lopez is an all-in, team-first guy.

“Dray’s been playing well so I’m happy to see him in the game playing well,” Lopez said. “He’s been for the most part been good in crunch time for us and he’s been especially good these last four games.”

But it was Lopez who went to Houston for All-Star weekend.

“It’s not my decision. I completely trust Dray when he’s in there,” said Lopez, who also sees no reason to chat with his coach — though Carlesimo wants to talk.

“I don’t think it’s really anything to worry about,” Lopez said.

Perhaps Sunday’s absence created a bigger fuss because the Nets won the first two games when Lopez was late bench ornamentation.

They beat the Bucks in overtime (Lopez played the overtime and struggled) and then came back the next night and won in Milwaukee, both times minus Lopez in the fourth. He did play 7 seconds in one, but that hardly counts.

Then came Memphis, and the Nets were stymied offensively beyond Deron Williams. Lopez has struggled mightily in the three games he was center non grata in the fourth. In those games, he has shot 6-of-17, 3-of-13 and 3-of-10 for a total of 12-of-40 (.300). Still, he might have been a presence late.

“You’d go crazy with the ‘what ifs’ and everything,” Lopez said. “ ‘What if our shots had gone down and theirs hadn’t?’ I mean there’s a million possibilities.”

Carlesimo has suggested the possibility of Lopez and Blatche playing together, and Lopez seemed to like the idea.

“That would be a great possibility,” Lopez said. “I’ve enjoyed the time we’ve played together.”

Carlesimo admitted Lopez’s personality has helped avoid complications. “For sure” they will talk about the reasoning behind the move that he wants to avoid again.

“Some guys are more accepting of it than others. Some guys are more bothered by it than others,” Carlesimo said, pointing out the “unsettled” nature of the Nets rotation and how players thrive on knowing when and where they’re entering. “You can’t always do that. Guys would love that: ‘I’m putting you in at the 9-minute mark and taking you out at the 3.’

“This situation, yes, I worry about it that I need to address it and I worry about it that I need to watch what I do going forward,” Carlesimo added. “I don’t worry about it that Brook will let it bother him or Brook will hold a grudge. Brook is very good that way. He cares about the team.”

But eventually, even good-soldier Lopez will see sitting crunch time as being an Edsel in the NBA garage.