Home>News Center>Sports
         
 

Nets think they're ready for title run
(AP)
Updated: 2005-10-04 10:26

A year ago, a series of injuries followed by dissension over roster moves sent the New Jersey Nets into a tailspin that took most of the season to correct.


New Jersey Nets' Vince Carter poses for an NBA photographer Monday, Oct. 3, 2005 during media day at their practice facility in East Rutherford, N.J. [AP]

With a healthy Richard Jefferson and with Vince Carter available from opening day to form a power trio with guard Jason Kidd, there was a distinct air of optimism as the team assembled Monday to begin training camp.

"There are about five or six teams that realistically have a chance of winning a championship," Jefferson said. "I definitely think we're one of them."

Those are bold words to describe a team that finished 42-40 last season and was swept out of the playoffs in the first round by Miami — until all the circumstances are examined.

Kidd missed the beginning of the season while recovering from knee surgery, and the Nets, the defending Eastern Conference champions, stumbled to a 12-24 record. Players were openly critical of the team's decision not to match Denver's offer to forward Kenyon Martin and to not re-sign Kerry Kittles and Lucious Harris.

"We had a lot of question marks at this time last year," Nets president Rod Thorn said. "When Kenyon left, that really hurt, and there was a question as to what was going to transpire with Jason."

By the time Kidd was back in form, Jefferson had gone down with a wrist injury and would miss more than 50 games. The December trade that brought Carter to New Jersey energized the team, and they won 15 of 19 games in the final five weeks to scrape into the playoffs.

The mood Monday was almost giddy compared to a year ago.

"One-hundred-and-eighty degrees," coach Lawrence Frank characterized it. "The atmosphere is positive, upbeat."

Despite missing out on signing free agent forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim after he failed a physical — he was later signed by Sacramento — the Nets addressed their two most glaring needs, rebounding and shooting, with the offseason additions of forwards Lamond Murray and Scott Padgett, center-forward Marc Jackson and guard Jeff McInnis.

Jackson, who averaged 12 points and five rebounds for Philadelphia last season, and Padgett add depth to a front line that was the team's weak link, though Nenad Krstic and Jason Collins showed improvement. Murray has averaged just under 12 points per game in 10 NBA seasons and shot 44 percent from 3-point range for Toronto last season.

McInnis could be the most valuable addition, as he can score (12.8 points last season), distribute (5.1 assists) and will be able to give Kidd a rest as well as play at the two spot.

"We're definitely more experienced and more athletic," said Carter. "And, we have guys who can shoot the ball. Now it's going to make teams have to make a decision because we have guys one through five who can shoot."

The new faces notwithstanding, the Nets will live and die with their three stars on the perimeter. Having greater depth than last season should make their jobs easier.

"All three of us bring something different to the table," said Kidd. "Hopefully we can start the season healthy and remain healthy. The key for us will be our depth, being able to be fresh. Having Jeff and Marc and Lamond and all those guys coming off the bench, there's not a dropoff."



Guo Jingjing taking gold in National Games
Federica Ridolfi
Selected Reuters sports pictures for September 27
 
  Today's Top News     Top Sports News
 

Typhoon Longwang triggers landslide, 59 missing

 

   
 

34 miners killed in Henan coal pit explosion

 

   
 

Two Australians win Nobel Prize in medicine

 

   
 

John Snow heads to China, appoints new aide

 

   
 

China may have world's biggest steelmaker

 

   
 

Iraqi tribunal confirms Saddam trial date

 

   
  Nets think they're ready for title run
   
  Yan Zi wins first WTA title in Guangzhou
   
  Wang Meng wins 4 golds at World Cup Short Track
   
  Federer subdues Murray to retain Thailand title
   
  Vietnamese football tries to clean up its act
   
  Yankees win division title for eighth straight year
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 无码内射中文字幕岛国片| 精品一区二区三区中文字幕| 国产精品无码aⅴ嫩草| spoz是什么意思医学| 日产乱码一卡二卡三免费| 五月婷婷俺也去开心| 欧美日韩视频一区三区二区| 人妻少妇一区二区三区| 精品国产免费人成网站| 国产一级在线免费观看| 黑人巨大精品播放| 欧美日韩视频免费播放| 免费无码又爽又刺激高潮| 美女扒开内裤羞羞网站| 国产乱XXXXX97国语对白| 黄色一级片免费看| 国产真实乱在线更新| 18禁无遮挡无码国产免费网站| 最近更新中文字幕第一电影| 亚洲系列中文字幕| 男生和女生一起差差差很痛的视频| 国产在线精品99一卡2卡| 香蕉视频黄色在线观看| 国产萌白酱在线一区二区| 99精品视频在线免费观看| 婷婷久久久五月综合色| 一边伸舌头一边快速喘气音频原声| 日韩电影手机在线观看| 亚洲av永久无码精品秋霞电影影院| 男女爱爱免费视频| 免费观看激色视频网站bd| 精品国产日韩一区三区| 午夜精品久久久久久| 美女18毛片免费视频| 国产一区二区三区乱码网站| 都市美妇至亲孽缘禁忌小说| 国产大片黄在线观看| 国产三级小视频在线观看| 国产精华av午夜在线观看| 波多野结衣xfplay在线观看| 国产精品多p对白交换绿帽|