Clippers’ 30 Turnovers Make Nets’ Coaching Turnover Look Good

It was only one game, but in Willis Reed’s coaching debut, the New Jersey Nets played like a team headed for the National Basketball Assn. playoffs rather than the draft lottery.

The Nets ushered in the Reed era by crushing the beleaguered Clippers, 104-75, Tuesday night at the Meadowlands Arena in a game that matched the league’s worst teams. The Clippers are 12-41, and the Nets are 13-42.

“We weren’t playing the best team in the league,” Reed said. “But you have to beat teams like this in order to succeed. We have 27 games left, and our goal is to win as many games as we can and get the most out of our players.”

New Jersey played a smothering pressure defense, holding the Clippers to their lowest point total of the season. The Clippers had a season-high 30 turnovers.

The Nets will get a more realistic idea of how much they’ve improved under Reed when they face the Boston Celtics tonight in the Boston Garden. But they overpowered the Clippers, who lost their 19th consecutive road game.

“The Clippers have been struggling like we have, but it was great to win,” said guard Otis Birdsong, who led the Nets with 18 points. “Since I’ve been in the league, it seems that a team plays well in its first game with a new coach.”

Reed was named the Nets’ third coach this season Monday when he succeeded interim Coach Bob MacKinnon. MacKinnon took control of the team after Dave Wohl was fired Dec. 9. He signed a three-year contract worth a reported $800,000.

It was something of a homecoming for Reed, a Hall of Fame center who led the New York Knicks to two NBA titles in 10 seasons. He coached the Knicks into the playoffs in 1977-78 but was fired just 14 games into the next season after they got off to a 6-8 start.

It took him 10 years to get another shot at an NBA head coaching job. He paid his dues, taking assistant coaching jobs with the Atlanta Hawks and the Sacramento Kings after college coaching stints at St. John’s and Creighton, where he coached Clipper center Benoit Benjamin.

“They wanted this win for Willis,” Benjamin said. “If he doesn’t do really well with the Nets, I’ll be surprised. Willis Reed just being himself will help the Nets win games.”

Reed faces a tough job in rebuilding the Nets.

“This team has lost 42 games, so I’m going to have to dispel a lot of negative attitudes,” Reed said. “I’m excited even though I know that the circumstances may not be ideal.”

Reed didn’t do much actual coaching, letting MacKinnon, who sat next to him on the bench, direct the team. Reed, however, plans to assume a more active role as soon as he gets to know the team better.

“I won’t make any massive changes,” Reed said. “I’ll make subtle changes to make our offensive system better. I’m going to wait until I finish doing my homework.”

Reed probably wishes that all of the Nets’ remaining games could be as easy as this one.

“He (Reed) put a spark back into the game,” Net guard Dennis Hopson said. “We had a totally different attitude.’

Said Reed: “The players are always going to get a lift when you get a new coach. When this wears off, then I’ll have a better idea of how we’ll do.”

The Nets, who ended a six-game losing streak, took control at the start as they shut out the Clippers for the first 6:24 of the game, taking a 14-0 lead. The Clippers missed their first 11 shots and shot 26.3% from the floor in the opening period.

“Our defense was a lot better,” said Net forward Buck Williams, who had 15 points and 7 rebounds. “I hope we can build on this and add in Willis’ philosophies.”

Said Clipper Coach Gene Shue: “We went inside right away and we just couldn’t make a shot early. And it affected the rest of the game. We never got into the game.”

New Jersey outrebound the Clippers, 49-29. Michael Cage, the Clippers’ leading rebounder this season, had just five rebounds and six points, and Benjamin had a team-high six rebounds and eight points.

As if Shue didn’t have enough problems to deal with already, he must now replace rookie forward Joe Wolf.

Wolf will be sidelined four to five weeks with a sprained right knee. Wolf limped off the court with 9:28 left in the game after he collided with Williams. He is scheduled to return to Los Angeles today to have the knee examined by Dr. Tony Daly, the Clipper physician. Daly performed arthroscopic surgery on Wolf’s right knee last December.

Clipper Notes

The Clippers, who have lost 23 consecutive road games against Eastern Conference teams, continue their four-game trip tonight when they play the Detroit Pistons in the Silverdome at Pontiac, Mich. . . . Guard Mike Woodson led the Clippers with 16 points, and rookie point guard Reggie Williams added 14 points in 24 minutes off the bench.