Meanwhile, F1 chiefs are still investigating the fire that cast a shadow over Williams' first grand prix victory since 2004 and the first race victory by a Venezuelan driver.
Michael Gove, now a Tory frontbencher and key David Cameron ally, and Tom Baldwin, in The Times, said Mr Duncan Smith had been "steady under fire" and his shadow cabinet appointments - derided by modernisers for bringing in eurosceptics and right wingers - were starting to bear fruit.
The moves, in addition to newly signed deals with forwards Gerald Wallace, Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries were supposed to immediately inject the Nets with enough fire power to escape the shadow of the New York Knicks and become the talk of the towns.