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Vince Carter underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle Wednesday, to remove bone spurs and loose bodies, plus perform a debridement of the ankle, according to the Nets website. The team provided no exact timetable for recovery, but after several weeks on crutches and rehab, the Nets expect Carter to be ready for training camp.

Criticized in the past for not playing through injuries, tagged as soft in NBA circles, Carter showed his heart playing in 70 games after initially injuring his ankle in a loss to Boston on November 10. The extent of the injury makes his season look even more remarkable.

Give Carter credit on two fronts. He played hard right until the last day of the season, elevating his game – on and off the court - after the Kidd trade, while the ankle continued to give him problems. Not once did he complain about the injury. That should quiet any questions about his heart, or devotion to the team. Ankle injuries can be serious, unlike, say, a migraine.

Having the surgery immediately after the season to gives VC as much time to rehab for next season as possible. Too many times injured stars wait after the season, talk about rehabbing, talk about resting, wind up having surgery later in the summer, then next thing you know they show up unprepared for the season, or miss regular season games. By taking care of the injury a week after the season ended, barring an unforeseen setback, the Nets can count on Carter.

Missing the playoffs has its benefits, a high draft pick, and extra rest for the veterans. Giving Carter a few extra weeks, and others that hobbled to the finish line like Devin Harris, Josh Boone, and Boki Nochbar – if he returns – will benefit the Nets playoff run next season.

This year’s NBA playoffs has it all – except the Knicks. Los Angeles and Boston at the forefront, All-Stars galore, to go along with the most competitive conference in league history. Lakers-Celtics is the NBA’s dream matchup, David Stern TV ratings and dollar signs float through his head just thinking about it. Unfortunately for the Commissioner, I envision a repeat of 1988, not 1986. Enough hype, let’s get it on.

Eastern Conference

36 win teams do not belong in the playoffs. They don’t deserve to collect a playoff share, or even get the chance to pull an upset. Boston dominated the NBA - not just the East, proving it with a 22-5 mark vs. Western Conference foes. KG and company swept Atlanta in the season series, expect much of the same in round one – Celts in 4.

Rarely do 59-win teams fly under the radar, especially one with five consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances and a chip on their shoulder after losing to an inferior team last season. Welcome to the Detroit Pistons world. Ripe with a rare mix of veteran leadership, playoff experience, and young energy off the bench, this Pistons team goes deeper than years past, though questions remain on how youngsters Rodney Stuckey, Amir Johnson, Aaron Afflalo, and Jason Maxiell will handle the playoff intensity. Philadelphia had a phenomenal season, outliving expectations. But Mo Cheeks maximized what he could from this team, a few late season losses cost them the sixth seed. Detroit’s advantage in playoff experience, and lock down defense should make this a quick exit for the surprising 76er’s, not a series with the intensity to test those Piston youngsters – Detroit in 5.

Dwight Howard arrived this season. No longer the next big thing, Howard is an almost automatic double-double every time he steps foot on the court, yet the key to Orlando’s ascension to 50 wins was Hedo Turkoglu. A potential Most Improved Player Candidate, the 28-year old from Turkey increased his scoring by over 6 points, and both assists and rebounds by more than 1.5 per game. Off-season acquisition Rashard Lewis teams up with Howard and Turkoglu to form arguably the best frontcourt in the league, one that can beat you from inside and out. Point guard remains Orlando’s weakness, playing right into the strength of the disappointing Toronto Raptors, with a two-headed monster at point that most teams would kill for, TJ Ford and Jose Calderon. After emerging to win the Atlantic last season, Toronto regressed, falling apart when an injury forced Chris Bosh out of action. Bosh vs. Howard is a great matchup of contrasting styles, power and finesse, but the Raptors surrounding cast does not play tough and does not match up with Orlando – Magic in 6.

There are some things you don’t do, then just shake your head when someone does it. DeShawn Stevenson went there. He called out Lebron James. Mind you, this is not Kobe or Duncan making statements, championship rings to back them up, this is DeShawn Stevenson. Calling the NBA scoring champion who carried his team to the NBA finals overrated, a brainfreeze, calling the rest of the Cavs underachievers though, on the money. If Stevenson didn’t light the flame, Washington enters the series playing much better than Cleveland, and they add Gilbert Arenas to a team that learned to play without him. Now, the Wizards must beware of the King taking out his frustration and single-handedly winning this series. Before Stevenson, Washington in 6, now – Cavs in 7.

A two horse race all season, its only fitting the conference championship comes down to Detroit and Boston. The Celtics bring the star power – KG, Pierce, and Allen – with a surprisingly dominant defense and home court. After failing to reach the Finals each of the past two seasons Detroit is on a mission to get back. None of the Celts stars have played big in a big game yet, Detroit’s have. They want the big shot. Point guard is the difference, while Rajon Rondo exceeded expectations, he’s not Chauncey Billups. That matchup will be the difference in this classic series – Detroit in 7.

Western Conference

It happened last season, the eight seed knocking off the top seed in the West, this year only 6 wins separate the two, could it happen again? Not unless Denver suddenly learns how to play defense. Kobe has the running mate he begged for in Pau Gasol, a legit All-Star who fit right into the Lakers system like a glove. Hidden as a third option, don’t underestimate Lamar Odom, an immense talent that quietly averaged a double-double. Odom creates match-up problems for opponents, and can take over a game. The Lakers won’t need him to do that in Round One – LA in 5.

Rarely is the second-seed viewed as an underdog in the opening series, especially one that boasts an MVP candidate. Not quite the underdog in Vegas, a Hornets first round exit would still surprise few. The knock on them, never been there before. Well, Utah’s current cast never did it before last season, and ran to the conference finals. I’m not saying New Orleans won’t pay some playoff dues before contending for the title, but they deserve the second seed and will live up tot that expectation. Chris Paul dominated Jason Kidd all season, the only addition to a Dallas team that choked away the NBA Finals and a first-round series the previous two seasons. The Kidd trade did not provide the big lift a struggling Dallas team needed. Nowitzki injury aside, Dallas was inconsistent all season, with and without Kidd or Nowitzki. They have gaping holes on defense, in the post, and despite their mid-season acquisition, a mismatch at point guard in this series. Byron Scott would love to send Kidd crawling home four years after the outspoken point guard helped get Scott fired in New Jersey – NO in 6.

A heavyweight tussle made for the conference finals, not the first round. Forget the build up and hype, we all know the history between San Antonio and Phoenix by now, we know all the major players, buckle up for a classic. Amare Stoudemire played as good as anyone in the NBA after the Shaq acquisition freed him up on both ends of the court, the Spurs need to find a way to contain him off the pick and roll with Nash to slow down the Suns offensively. Duncan will play big, he always does in the playoffs, San Antonio needs a healthy Manu Ginobili. The lanky Argentine posted career numbers coming off the bench most of the season. A game changer on both ends of the floor, Ginobili makes the plays that win playoff games, a steal, a driving score in the fourth, he does it when it counts most. Expect a fierce battle, the stars will shine, Manu will rise – Spurs in 7.

Somehow, Houston managed to win 22 straight games, mostly without Yao Ming, surely earning Rick Adelman a few coach of the year votes. In this crazy season out West, Utah is seeded fourth, yet Houston holds home court, where they lost to Utah in a first round Game 7 last year. Despite averaging 28.5 ppg in the post-season, the inevitable question – Can Tracy McGrady win a playoff series – comes up, as if McGrady is the reason his team loses each year. Without Yao, McGrady showed signs of slowing down late in the season, hampered by a shoulder injury. Already missing point guard Rafer Alston for the first two games, Houston needs not only a healthy T-Mac, but possibly a herculean effort from McGrady to overcome a talented Jazz squad. Pencil in 3 almost automatic home wins for Utah, 37-4 in Salt Lake this year, Boozer and Williams will get at least one in Houston – Utah in 6.

After my don’t underestimate New Orleans speech, I give them little to no chance in the second round against San Antonio, to whom home court advantage makes little difference. LA and Utah has the makings of a classic, as do most series out West. When two teams are so closely matched, go with the best player on the court, in this case Kobe Bryant. On paper, you can argue the Spurs will lose each of these series, but they are the champs – five times to be exact – until beaten. Spurs in 6.

One question, will any team coming out of the West have enough in the tank when the Finals rolls around? The Spurs have an older team, having to go through Phoenix, New Orleans, and LA, in what expects to be three hard fought series may leave them out of gas in the finals. Detroit will have revenge on their mind, both on the critics who buried them after last season and on the Spurs who ended their chance to repeat in 2005. Lost in the Western Conference hype this season, nobody realizes how good Detroit and Boston actually are, the world will see in the finals – Detroit in 7.

Yesterday the NBA tipped off it’s second season without the New Jersey Nets for the first time in seven seasons, however many players and coaches with ties to the Nets organization still have a chance for the crown. So as the Nets hit the links, resting hope on ping-pong balls, here’s some former Nets to keep an eye on.

Western Conference

Dallas-New Orleans – Dallas made the blockbuster mid-season trade with New Jersey for this reason – to win in the playoffs. Jason Kidd is the only major change on a team with two consecutive post-season collapses, a first-round exit following a 67-win season last year, preceded by gift wrapping an NBA Finals series they had within grasp in 2006. No longer a 67-win team, Dallas needed a strong finish, helped by Dirk Nowitzki’s return to lineup, to slide in with the seven-seed, and a first round date with New Orleans.

Kidd is the focal point of this series on and off the court. His match up against MVP-candidate Chris Paul, who torched Kidd multiple times during the regular season, will go a long way in determining the series. If Paul continues to dominate, Dallas heads home in the first round again. On the bright side, Kidd did outplay Paul in the Mavs regular season finale win over New Orleans.

Off the court, that extension J-Kidd demanded from the Nets and he expected from Mark Cuban remains unsigned. Mr. Triple Double may still need to prove he’s worth his weight in gold – or green, in this case – before Dallas rewards the aging 34-year old point guard.

On the opposite bench, Byron Scott, leading candidate for coach of the year, sits with revenge on his mind. Only four years ago, Kidd forced the Nets to fire Scott following two NBA Finals appearances. Now, Scott has brought another team from the ranks of laughingstock to the forefront of championship discussion. Kidd, meanwhile, never reached that level of team success again, and this may be his last chance. Think Scott would like to squash it.

Of the small army New Jersey shipped to Dallas with Kidd, only Malik Allen expects to see any playing time, albeit minimal. Allen took a total of 7 shots in April. Antoine Wright saw substantial playing time while the Mavs battled injuries, now with Stackhouse back he is out of the picture. Jamaal Magloire appeared in one game in April.

Denver-Los Angeles – Net fans point to losing one player that ended the string of Eastern Conference supremacy earlier this decade – Kenyon Martin. After missing all but two games last season, Martin put up solid numbers in Denver’s run and gun system, averaging 12.4 points, 1.2 blocks, and 6.5 rebounds in 71 games. Teamed with Marcus Camby on the backline, Denver needs a solid defensive series from Martin to contain the Lakers post game. Denver will need to play defense to win in the playoffs, outside Camby, Martin is the most experienced, athletic frontcourt player.

Houston-Utah – Thrust back into a starting role when Yao Ming suffered the fractured leg, 41-year old Dikembe Mutombo hopes to return to the NBA Finals one last time. Mutombo filled in admirably for Yao, providing solid defense, a shot blocking presence, and leadership, to the Rockets. Mutombo has a tough assignment, against a younger, more athletic Utah frontcourt led by emerging superstar Carlos Boozer. Mutombo appeared in the NBA Finals with New Jersey in 2003 and Philadelphia in 2001.

San Antonio-Phoenix – When Tony Parker needs a breather, Gregg Poppovich will look to defensive-specialist Jacques Vaughn to contain former MVP point guard Steve Nash. If the Spurs go deep into the playoffs, Vaughn will have his opportunities to spell Parker. He fits San Antonio perfect, a prototypical role player that plays stingy defense, and possesses a high basketball IQ.

Boston-Atlanta – Playing backup point guard most of the season, Eddie House sacrificed shots and points for the good of the team. Of course, running along side three superstars on your way to a 66-16 season makes it easier. With Sam Cassell now on board to backup Rajon Rondo, House is free to do what he does best, shoot. That same shooting ability the Nets sorely missed this season, will force to defenses to spread out, opening up lanes for Garnet and Pierce inside. If teams opt leave House open, he can bury them from downtown. His 91% FT shooting makes House a viable option in late game situations.

Cleveland-Washtington – A throwback to another era, Damon James made a cameo with the Nets in 1998-99. Now, the University of Houston alum, enters the playoffs as part of the James Gang for the third straight year. Cleveland needs its role players to step up, or the NBA Finals is a pipe dream, barring unmatched heroics from Lebron. Last year Daniel Gibson emerged, could Jones be the one to step up this year?

Toronto-Orlando – For those who forget, the Nets actually drafted current Raptor Anthony Parker in 1997, then shipped him to Philadelphia in the Keith Van Horn transaction. Parker continues to contribute on the court, while Van Horn deposits checks.

Philadelphia-Detroit – Former Nets GM Ed Stefanski now presides over arguably the biggest surprise in the NBA. Most experts picked Philly to battle for the top spot in the lottery, not playoff position. Give credit where credit is due though, former GM Billy King drafted the young players emerging this year, and built this team.

Mark Jackson announced that tonight marks his last game behind the microphone on Nets broadcast. Jackson slipped it in during the nightly third quarter segment of the broadcast that reviews the text message results of the question of the night, which conincidentally asked viewers to vote on where Mark Jackson would be next year.

Though widely rumored to be among the leading candidates for the Knicks head coaching job, or another GM or coaching position in the NBA, Jackson stated that he will focus on broadcasting for ESPN/ABC full-time - as of now, at least. He cited family issues, his wife and kids live in Los Angeles, for the decision to leave the Nets. Over three seasons as the Nets lead analyst, Jackson has emerged as a top-notch broadcaster, balancing a quick wit and solid ability to break down basketball from an X’s and O’s perspective in simple, understandable terms for viewers. The New York native had great chemistry with both play-by-play men, Marv Albert and Ian Eagle, making for entertaining, informative broadcasts, even as the Nets struggled this year.

Jackson will begin broadcasting the NBA playoffs on ESPN and ABC with Jeff Van Gundy and Mike Breen this weekend. If he continues in that position next year, remains to be seen.

Monday night’s exciting college basketball season finale in the rear view mirror, full attention shifts to the draft this week. Underclassmen have until April 27^th to declare for the draft, June 16^th is the last day underclassmen who choose not to hire an agent can withdraw and preserve eligibility.

Barring a lottery miracle, the Nets will land a pick on the fringe of the Top 10 to address their two biggest needs – perimeter shooting and post scoring. Arizona’s Chase Budinger, Nevada’s Javale McGee, Texas A&M’s DeAndre Jordan, Florida’s Marreese Speights, and LSU’s Anthony Randolph all declared for the draft, expect to be available around the Nets selection, and project to address a need area. Only McGee hired an agent.

Rod Thorn decided to let Eddie House walk, and the Nets paid for it all season without a legitimate long distance threat to stretch defenses or combat zone defenses. The Nets toyed with Mike Miller at the trade deadline before standing pat, leaving the perimeter shooting hole. Budinger, the lanky 6’7” shooting guard, possesses the outside stroke to make teams pay from behind the arc the next time the Nets see a 2-3 zone. His defense remains a question, but Budinger is a legitimate perimeter scorer with a shot and the size to create mismatches.

Recent Net draft picks Sean Williams and Josh Boone pleasantly surprised this season stepping into prominent rotation roles most of the season, Boone elevated to the starting lineup. Questions remain on the offensively challenged Boone, who relied on transition and high percentage shots to score. Williams sporadically displayed flashes of a post game and the potential to bury the 10-foot shot, but is still extremely raw and inconsistent. Lacking a go-to post presence, the Nets became jump shot happy too often when they needed a basket. Arthur showed an array of post moves in Monday nights title game, though he’s undersized for a center. Randolph and Jordan are both long-term projects with immense talent and many questions. McGee does not have the upside of the other’s, but is a safer option that could contribute immediately.

The next few months leaves plenty of time to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each player, and detail the Nets need areas this offseason. By late April, the Nets will know who their options are with the two first round picks. Check out www.njnetscast.com for a full potential wish list when the underclassmen dust settles.

Only 5 games remain until the countdown until the Nets first lottery appearance since 2001, barring a miracle, yet each of the next two games have major Eastern Conference playoff implications. Tonight the Nets travel to Cleveland to play a slumping Cavs team still fighting for home-court advantage in the first round. Friday night New Jersey heads north of the border for another matchup against Toronto, now below .500 thanks to a 4-11 stretch that’s dropped the Raptors to the seventh seed.

Teams entering the postseason have three items on the wish list: health, home court, and peak at the right time. Cleveland currently has none of the three, losing its stranglehold on the 4-seed with losses in five of seven, putting home court at risk, and worst of all, a bad back hobbles Lebron James. Try telling Coach Mike Brown tonight’s game with New Jersey means nothing. If the Nets need extra incentive to play spoiler, Coach Frank’s squad can sweep the Cavs for the season since 1982-83, and only the second time since the merger.

Toronto faces a host of problems. Chris Bosh returned from injury to a team that fell apart without him, 2-8 during his absence, and he let them know about it by criticizing the team. Even with Bosh, the Raptors continue to struggle, falling behind both Washington and Philadelphia in the standings, by one and two games respectively. A first-round matchup with Detroit will almost guarantee a second straight first round exit. Toronto has five games left to turn things around, try to grab a better seed, and buy themselves a fighting chance in the first round. Vince Carter never needs an extra reason to play hard against the Raptors, but if he did, quieting the rabid Canadian fans while extinguishing any hopes for the fifth or sixth seed will help.

While the Nets countdown to the draft lottery, they still have a chance to leave their fingerprints on the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs before hitting the links.

Vince Carter could hang up his number 15 Nets jersey and called it a season last week with the Nets playoff hopes on life support. Other teams would almost force Carter to do so, not risking the team superstar and its biggest investment, trying to improve draft position by not fielding the best team possible. Miami threw the towel in weeks ago, Boston and Memphis were accused of throwing games last season, its an almost annual occurrence.

After sitting out Friday, watching a listless Nets loss to a Detroit team with nothing more to play for, Carter had even more reason to sit out. Not only did he play on an injured ankle Saturday, Carter starred with 32 points, including 21 in the second half when he carried New Jersey past Toronto for an otherwise meaningless win. Carter played 45 minutes, but showed so much more than you can see in a boxscore. After the game Carter said, “I refuse to quit on the season, or quit on this team.” Coach Lawrence Frank acknowledged the effort “says a lot about him,” playing on a swollen ankle likely to require offseason surgery.

Frank alluded to “professional responsibility” in a pre-game interview with YES Saturday, a responsibility to the league, the team, and the fans. Toronto is still fighting for playoff position, the Nets owe it the competition and integrity of the league to play hard. As Frank said, its about the name on the front of the jersey too, not just the back. Carter mentioned how important it was for the young guys – Sean Williams, Marcus Williams – to see him and Jefferson finish strong, even with nothing at stake, to set the right example, the lunch pail mentality. In a season where Jason Kidd deserted these same teammates, Carter has stepped into that leadership role by example.

Sadly, NBA players get commended for just doing what they are paid an obscene amount of money to do. But look at Miami, Dwayne Wade and Shawn Marion took an early vacation, even the head coach sits out games, a first in my memory. Pat Riley subscribes to theory that racking up losses by playing with an NBA D-League team will earn the Heat a top draft pick, leading to a quick turnaround.

He should know better. Boston and Memphis pulled the plug early last season, deciding to battle for Greg Oden and Kevin Durant rather than play Detroit or Chicago. Neither team received a top 3 pick, the only selections determined by the lottery. Boston still managed to turnaround, but not through the draft lottery. A year earlier, Portland finished with the worst record, yet finished out of the Top 3. Back to 2005, Atlanta, Charlotte, and New Orleans all finished with under 20 wins, yet only Atlanta picked in the Top 3. 2004 is the last time the worst record won the lottery, yielding Dwight Howard for Orlando – sometimes losing does help.

Go a step further, evaluate the past three drafts, last year’s prize sat out the entire season with injury, the two best players from the 2006 draft were selected sixth and eighth (Rudy Gay and Brandon Roy), and while Milwaukee struck gold in the lottery in 2005, Utah and New Orleans have Deron Williams and Chris Paul. If fate holds, the lottery will not reward Miami for the tank job, and Memphis will not benefit from fielding a terrible team.

Back to Carter, his turnaround dates back to the Kidd trade. Widely criticized throughout his career, fairly and unfairly, for being soft, and getting comfortable after signing long term contracts, Carter has elevated his all-around game. Compared to the first half of the season, in 23 games since the All-Star break Carter increased his scoring by over 3 points per game, plays 2 more minutes, and grabs about 1.5 more rebounds a night. Carter has truly tried to fill every void left by Kidd. Rebounding, often overlooked for big scorers, proves the point. Thanks to a big second half on the glass, when the team needed help to replace its leading rebounder, Carter has elevated his season average to 6.1, on pace for a career high.

Perhaps the NBA draft gods will reward the Nets for playing hard – Gay, Amare Stoudemire, Andrew Bynum, and Andre Igoudala all fell between 8^th and 10^th in the draft, where the Nets will likely pick, unless the ping-pong balls bounce the right way.

Richard Jefferson went as far to say the Knicks win does not even count as a road win. At least RJ has a grasp on reality. Besides Monday’s 106-91 win at the Garden, the Nets have not won a road game since February 8^th, and hold a 3-18 record away from home since January 8^th, and those three wins – Miami, Charlotte, New York – are nothing to write home about.

Since Devin Harris debuted against Milwaukee, the Nets have been an offensive juggernaut at home, eclipsing 100 points and 50% shooting in 6 of the 7 home games, posting a 5-2 record. With Harris leading the way, the entire team, particularly Vince Carter, have elevated their games. The Nets play with confidence at home, even appear to have fun at times – a shock if you saw them earlier in the year.

However, New Jersey has failed to pack up the newly found offense for the road trips. They play like two completely different teams at home and on the road, and it starts with the offense, notably ball movement. When adversity hits, a few missed shots or a run by the opponent, the Nets forget how to run offensive sets, stop passing, and transition goes by the waste side. Lack of ball movement leads to tougher, lower percentage shots, combined with less fast break points, and it’s no surprise the Nets have not shot over 50% during this treacherous road skid and only cracked 100 points once – ironically, in their visit to Indiana.

Offensively, the recipe is simple for the Nets, do as you do at the Izod Center. Push tempo, play aggressive and drive to the basket, make the extra pass, look for high percentage shots.

Jermaine O’Neal expects to return to the Indiana lineup tonight, giving the Pacers another weapon to throw at the Nets. In the three match-ups this season, Mike Dunleavy has torched the Nets, averaging 28.7 ppg, while Indiana has feasted from behind the arc, burying 40% on 33-81 shooting. O’Neal brings another inside presence for the Nets to worry about, along side second leading scorer Danny Granger and big man Troy Murphy, who also sat out Wednesday. Knowing Indiana’s 3-point shooting prowess, Coach Frank must make sure his defenders don’t get caught trying to double team the post and leave shooters open, especially Dunleavy. Though the Nets 3-point defense has improved recently, which may have more to do with the opponents than the defense, they allow about 1.5 more three pointers per game in losses. Too often this season, they have left good shooters open, and paid the price. It’s no secret Dunleavy can score, the Nets can’t allow another 30-point outburst.

After tonight the Nets embark on a treacherous six-game stretch against playoff teams, magnifying the importance of this game. When the Pacers make a run – and its inevitable, basketball is a game of runs – will the Nets counterpunch, or fall back to the bad habits they’ve exhibited on the road?

Desperate for a win, who better to play than the New York Knicks, the laughingstock that Isiah built. In recent years that meant an automatic win for the Nets, sporting an impeccable record during the Jason Kidd era, then that nasty migraine hit in December. This season, the Knicks have given the Nets headaches, sweeping the three meetings thus far. Monday night the Knicks look to sweep the season series for the first time since the strike shortened 1998-99 season, and the first four-game set since 1994-95.

Back to back weekend losses combined with Indiana and Atlanta win streaks leave the Nets tied with the Pacers, 1 ½ games behind the Hawks, in the race for eighth in the East, and a date with the Celtics in the playoffs. Following the Knicks, New Jersey has a home and away with Indiana to end a critical seven game stretch against lesser opponents before navigating the playoff heavyweights. So far, not so good - dropping three of four last week leave the Nets in a precarious position. Given the lighter schedule facing Atlanta and Indiana, a poor performance in the next three games could end the Nets chances.

Outside of Miami, who barely fields a team these days, the Knicks are the worst team in the NBA at this point in the season. Entering action tonight at 19-50, riding a four game losing streak, the last two against Minnesota and Memphis, teams with a combined 36-102 record, by double-digits. Toss in the daily Isiah Thomas-James Dolan soap opera, open rumors about possible replacements, and half the team on the bench with injuries, New York has lost 11 of its last 12, only beating the aforementioned Heat in that span – and barely at that. The Knicks are an utter disaster.

With only four wins away from home in the new year, the Nets need to take advantage of this cupcake to get their feet back under them away from Izod heading down the home stretch. Unfortunately the Knicks depleted active roster still includes Jamaal Crawford and Zach Randolph, two guys that tortured the Nets in the losses earlier this season. Surrounded with the likes of Randolph Morris, Fred Jones, Wilson Chandler, Malik Rose, and Reynaldo Balkman, coach Lawrence Frank must force anyone but Crawford and Randolph beat them. Saturday in Philadelphia, the Nets defense showed improvement, holding Philly to a sub-40% shooting night and 91 points, the lowest total in the past six games. Now they need the offense to get back on track quick. Consistency has eluded New Jersey all season. If they intend to turn the ship around, the Nets need a complete effort on both ends of the floor for the entire four quarters, night in and night out. Call it judgment week, call it must win, call it what you want, the Nets have no excuses for losing to this Knicks team tonight.

ESPN’s NBA Senior Writer Chris Broussard reports on this morning’s NBA 411 segment during the Mike and Mike in the Morning simulcast on ESPN2 that Lawrence Frank is on the hot seat and could lose his job if the Nets don’t earn a playoff berth. Broussard mentions how both Bruce Ratner and Rod Thorn like Lawrence Frank, but says winning has become a priority and will take precedent over personal feelings.

Broussard first reported that Larry Brown is interested in returning to coaching, at almost any cost, before his segue way into the Frank story, though he made sure to mention that Brown would not fit in New Jersey. One look at the Nets record, compared to the pre-season expectations, and Frank on the hot seat does not come as a shock. Fans have lit up message boards calling for the coach’s head during this dysfunctional, disappointing season, though this marks the first public report from sources close to Ratner and Thorn that a change may be on the horizon.

Ironically, this report comes a day after possibly the most disappointing loss to date this season, a 16-point defeat to Chicago, with a potentially season defining game against Atlanta tonight. The rumor will not serve as any distraction, only a reminder of how far the Nets are from where they expected to be.

If Frank goes, who should be next in line?