A Closer Look Reveals a Stronger Nets Team

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October 31, 2007

A Closer Look Reveals a Stronger Nets Team

By DAVID PICKER
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Oct. 29 — Before a preseason game last week, Nets Coach Lawrence Frank sized up the N.B.A.’s Atlantic Division by handing out compliments as though they were turnstile giveaways. The Boston Celtics, he noted, overhauled their lineup with two perennial All-Stars; the Toronto Raptors were the defending champions; the Knicks added 260 pounds of respectability in Zach Randolph; and the Philadelphia 76ers were improving via youth.

Curiously, Frank did not mention anything about his own team until asked how others in the division viewed it. He then hinted that initial perceptions often turned out to be wrong.

“I think many people questioned what my wife thought when she married me,” Frank said.

At first glance, this season’s Nets look awfully similar to last season’s Nets, who finished with a .500 record and fizzled in the second round of the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Their hopes of re-emerging as an elite team again hinge on their Big Three: Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson.

While the Nets passed on major reconstruction during the off-season, they still have some cause for optimism. Their supporting cast appears to be healthier, deeper and more experienced than it was last season.

“This is the most talented team that I’ve been on,” said Kidd, who guided the Nets to appearances in the N.B.A. finals in 2002 and 2003.

When the Nets open their season at home Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls, the Big Three and Jason Collins will be reunited in the starting lineup with Nenad Krstic, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee Dec. 22 and missed the rest of the season.

Krstic, who averaged 16.4 points a game before going down, said his knee was feeling great these days and that he was motivated to surpass his form of last season. The complexion of the Nets changes dramatically with Krstic in the rotation.

“He’s a 7-foot center that can shoot the ball,” Jefferson said. “Just the dynamic of that is so impressive. We lacked size last year. We lacked size and interior scoring.”

The Nets seem to have an abundance of quality down low. When Collins and Krstic need a rest, a revamped bench can provide a lift. Gone are Mikki Moore, Clifford Robinson and Mile Ilic. They have been replaced by the veteran forward Malik Allen, the athletic rookie Sean Williams and the 6-foot-11 Jamaal Magloire, who is known for his interior defense and toughness.

Magloire, 29, was the Nets’ most significant off-season acquisition. In seven seasons, he averaged 9 points and 7.5 rebounds for four teams. He said he signed with the Nets because he wanted to play with Kidd.

“There’s a good balance, inside and out,” said Magloire, who was an All-Star with New Orleans in 2003-4. “I think we have great leaders in Kidd, Carter and Jefferson. They’ve had a taste of what success is like. The rest of us are trying to gain that experience.”

Josh Boone, one of six players who are 6-10 or taller, can also contribute in the post.

Boone and point guard Marcus Williams were rookies last season, and forward Antoine Wright was in his second year. Williams is recovering from a broken right foot sustained last month, so Darrell Armstrong, a veteran in his 14th N.B.A. season but his first with the Nets, will be featured prominently during the first month of the season.

But the player whose role might change the most from last season is Bostjan Nachbar, who led the Nets in scoring during the preseason with 19.8 points a game. Nachbar, a forward from Slovenia whose nickname is Boki, is in his sixth season. Frank said that scoring e was not part of a grand scheme.

“Just open man gets the ball,” Frank said. “Preseason’s a little bit different. Obviously, combinations are different. Things are a little bit skewed. But Boki, we want him to continue to have big confidence in his game.”

Of course, the contributions from the periphery will not matter much if Kidd, Carter and Jefferson do not contribute as expected.

Youth is no longer part of the Nets’ nucleus, with Kidd turning 35 this season and Carter turning 31. Injuries could become a problem. Kidd played in only one preseason game because of a strained lower back, and Jefferson was hampered by ankle problems that required surgery last January. He does, however, appear to have regained his explosiveness.

“The key is, like anything else, how all these parts fit together,” Frank said. “Not just in victory, but more importantly in defeat. How do they withstand adversity? How do they withstand injury? How do they respond to pressure? That’s why the season is a great ride and a great experience. You really find out about each other.”

[JamStone]

There's a very good chance that the Nets are a strong contender this year. They have the talent and depth to be so. Returning Krstic and adding Magloire (albeit not as big of a difference maker as he appeared to be several years ago) really does nicely balance out that roster. There are obviously plenty of questions that still remain with that team. Will Kidd finally start to really decline? Will he remain relatively healthy not only throughout the regular season but for a long playoff run? Can Vince Carter consistently be productive without alienating his teammates, especially Jefferson on offense? Can Jefferson play third fiddle to Kidd and Carter and be efficient and effective? Will Magloire fit in the uptempo style and not be a blackhole in the half court offensive set? When Marcus Williams returns, can he provide enough stability running the second unit to give Kidd adequate rest?

Talent wise, I think the Nets have a lot going for them. I think they match up well against any Eastern Conference team. But, again, there are plenty of concerns still. It's just as foreseeable that they are a top 3 Eastern Conference team as it is that they are scratching and clawing for the 7th or 8th seed, depending on how all those issues turn out.

[velik_m]

The Nets are the team to beat in the East.