PHOENIX—Just as there has to be chemistry between teammates to make a roster work, there has to be chemistry and cohesion between members of an NBA coaching staff.

But there can be only one voice.

The odd goings-on in Brooklyn this week, where head coach Jason Kidd banished assistant Lawrence Frank from the bench for apparent “philosophical differences,” underscores the need for one message delivered from the staff.

Head coaches can take advice and suggestions from the members of their staff but there needs to be only one “philosophy,” a point hammered home earlier this week by Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson.

“When I look at that situation, I don’t know what happened. I do see the reports of a ‘difference in philosophies,’” Jackson said before the Raptors played the Warriors on Tuesday.

“If that’s true, that’s trash to me. Because there’s one philosophy and that’s the head coach. I think we’re giving too much to an assistant or a staff. You win, it’s Jason Kidd. You lose, it’s Jason Kidd.”

The Brooklyn situation was odd for how quickly it broke down because Frank, Kidd’s former head coach in New Jersey, was highly recruited by Kidd in the off-season.

It was thought that Frank’s experience would help Kidd’s rapid transformation from player to head coach — a huge leap taken with Kidd not having served even a game as an NBA assistant before being given the reins of a veteran team under a lot of “win now” pressure from ownership.

And the quick breakup of the relationship — stories in the aftermath suggest the move has been coming for weeks — does put all the pressure on Kidd’s shoulders now.

If he wasn’t strong enough in the coach’s office to quell insubordination before having to fire one of his top lieutenants, is there a question how he’ll handle the first big blowup with one of his players?

It’s obvious that Frank and Kidd were nowhere near on the same page but that Kidd couldn’t bring one of his employees around before such drastic measures were necessary has to make ownership sit up and take notice.

And now that he’s made it abundantly clear that it’s his way or the highway, Kidd had better produce more than he has with the struggling Nets.

It was always a huge gamble simply hiring him with his decided lack of experience, now that he’s ostensibly fired his top advisor, he’s out there pretty much on his own in a job that demands success.

Some were never sure he was going to make a smooth transition, this incident underscores those concerns.

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Who’s hot?

The Portland Trail Blazers.

They have to be seen as the biggest, and most pleasant, surprise in the league with their torrid start.

All they’ve done is win nine of their last 10, beat a tough Oklahoma City team on Wednesday night and have ascended to first place overall in the highly-competitive Western Conference.

Who’s not?

The Minnesota Timberwolves

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It was long thought that this might be the year Minnesota at least mounted a strong challenge for a Western Conference playoff berth.

They still may but going 3-7 in their last 10 and dropping to 13th in the conference standings might be getting them too far buried too early to get back in the race.

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The week ahead for the Raptors

It doesn’t get any easier, that’s for sure.

In Phoenix on Friday, in Los Angeles for the Lakers on Sunday and home to face San Antonio on Tuesday.

The Suns are one of the big surprises in the league, 10-9 after a road win in Houston on Wednesday, and they are not an easy touch at all.

The Lakers could very well have Kobe Bryant back for Sunday and you can imagine what an emotional boost that’ll be.

The Spurs? They’re the Spurs, they’ve won eight of their last 10 and are in a virtual tie with Portland for first overall in the West.

No, not any easier at all and if the Raptors can steal one of the next three, that’s about all that can be legitimately be asked.

That’ll put them at 7-13 a quarter of the way through the regular season and it’ll be getting closer to decision time for general manager Masai Ujiri.

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