Bob Cook

Rick Pitino and Pat Riley are among the many coaches who have parlayed their successful careers into motivational books that sell well in airport shops frequented by mid-level salespeople. This season, New Jersey Nets coach Lawrence Frank could author his own entry: “How to Succeed in Business with Someone Who Once Wasn’t Really Trying.”

The Nets are leading the Atlantic Division, dubious title that may be, thanks to Vince Carter, who is emerging as a legitimate MVP candidate.

He’s averaging about 25 points, four assists and a career-high six rebounds per game, and is the Nets’ true go-to guy and superstar. In a 10-game winning streak that brought New Jersey to the top of the Atlantic, Carter averaged 33.5 points, including 51 against Miami, 35 against the Los Angeles Clippers, and 42, including a fadeaway, game-winning 3-pointer with 0.1 second left, at Toronto.

Ah yes, Toronto. That would be the Raptors, Carter’s former team, which he famously quit on last season in hopes of forcing a trade. It’s not just that his numbers were 16 points per game in Toronto, and 27 points per game in New Jersey. As he told TNT’s John Thompson, who asked him if he played hard every night: “In years past, no. I was fortunate to have the talent. You get spoiled when you’re able to do a lot of things. You see that you don’t have to work at it.”

It’s the American dream come true. Carter, tired of being the fading superstar of a struggling organization, gave a half-hearted effort in hopes of punching his ticket out of town. If Carter wrote a business book, it would be “Don’t Move Your Cheese: Slacking Your Way to a Better Job.”

In his short time in New Jersey, Carter has stayed healthy and attacked the basket, two things he didn’t do much of in his last few years in Toronto. Of course, maybe inspiration comes in having Jason Kidd as your point guard. Kidd, no longer slowed by the injured knee he struggled with last season, is averaging 14 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, all around his career averages.

Kidd has certainly been rejuvenated by having Carter around, too. At the least, he hasn’t been the surly sort he was after last season’s first-round playoff sweep, in which he reiterated his frustration that management wasn’t doing enough to get the players he needed to lead his team back to the NBA Finals after appearances in 2001 and 2002. “I’m an employee that wants to win,” Kidd said after last season.

Now that he’s winning again, Kidd can write his own book: “Good to Great: How to Shame Your Bosses Into Improving Your Company.”

Management got a lot smarter just by Richard Jefferson getting healthy.

Jefferson missed much of last season because of injury, but this season he’s averaging 18.5 points, a career-high 7.3 rebounds and another career high of 4.1 assists. Like Carter, he’s strongest slashing toward the hoop to score. Between Jefferson, Carter and Kidd, New Jersey has a three-man guard combo that would be the envy of any team in the league.

Alas, New Jersey has little inside game, and it appears to be, at best, the same kind of fast-break team that eventually will get shut down by a strong defense in the playoffs.

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures Flying on the hardwood, racing on the rink, getting physical on the gridiron, and much more. more photos

Still, with Detroit the only surefire title contender in the Eastern Conference, New Jersey has as good a chance as anyone else of making the conference finals.

Frank is doing what often is the best thing for NBA coaches to do — not messing things up. He’s not determined to put his stamp on his team. He’s not in ego battles with his players. Good thing, because a guy whose college basketball experience was as Bob Knight’s manager at Indiana is not going to win those battles.

It appears what Frank is doing best is what keeps NBA coaches employed — keeping his stars happy. The way Carter, Kidd and Jefferson are playing and smiling, they sure look happy.

Perhaps Frank could add this title to airport bookstores everywhere: “The Tipping Point: “How One Formerly Little-Trying Player Can Make a Big Difference.”

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