Report: Nets ownership still supports Jason Kidd despite five-game skid

We can't speak for all Russian billionaires, but Mikhail Prokhorov probably wasn't anticipating a 3-10 start to the regular season for his $190-million Brooklyn Nets. Even with the current five-game skid, Prokhorov's ownership group is reportedly still standing behind rookie head coach Jason Kidd.

ESPN.com reports Brooklyn's injured roster and 'other mitigating factors' have contributed to the team's poor showing, and league sources confirmed Kidd has support from the ownership. 

The Nets have used five different starting lineups in their last six games with injuries to Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, Andrei Kirilenko and Jason Terry.

The same sources confirmed early reports of "philosophical differences" between the coach and his lead assistant Lawrence Frank, but stressed the issues are being smoothed out by the Nets.

"They're fine," one source told ESPN of the pairing.

(Raise your hand if you've used the word 'fine' to describe a time when you were not fine at all.)

Following last Monday's 108-98 loss to the Trail Blazers, Kidd said it was "just bad coaching." 

Two of his veteran players addressed the comments last week:

But [Paul] Pierce and [Kevin] Garnett said the blame should not be directed at Kidd, who is making the jump straight to head coaching after deciding to end his playing career following the 2012-13 playoffs with the New York Knicks.

"The blame is all of us man," Garnett said last week. "It's not just on Jason. You can't put the s--- all on him."

"We gotta hold everybody accountable," Pierce added last week. "The players, the coaches, this is one big group and we're all in it together. So it's not only on [Kidd], it's on all of us."

The Nets are in 14th place in the East as of Sunday, ahead of the 2-10 Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks will look to end an eight-game losing streak (and share the basement with Brooklyn) Monday at Detroit.