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Christmas, New Year’s, it’s a good time for one of those lists with gifts or resolutions. What do the Nets need? Well, if you have watched this season, you realize they have many needs, but I will keep this simple, so here goes:

1. Youth Movement - We may look back to mid-December, and point to inserting Josh Boone and Sean Williams into the starting lineup as the turning point of the season, if the season turns. The Nets need these two blossoming players to develop into consistent, night in, night out, forces under the basket, on both sides of the floor. But, maybe more so for the long-term prospects, Marcus Williams has to show the Nets something this season. The Nets need help on offense, Williams has immense offensive talent, here is his chance.
2. Health - I know, not the most creative gift, since each team wants health. They need the current team to remain in tact, that goes without saying. More importantly, The Nets want nothing more for Christmas than to see a fully recovered Nenad Kristic on the court playing at his pre-injury level. Hopefully, this gift arrives in January.
3. No Stupid Trades - Jason Kidd to Cleveland sounds silly, since the Nets are actually better than Cleveland, and many teams in the East for that matter. If they can straighten the ship, why not make a run at it. If you get into the playoffs in the East, can avoid Boston or Detroit in the first round, get hot at the right time, you never know. Address J. Kidd’s future in the off-season, he would still have a year left on his contract, presumably lots of value if his current performance continues, and the front office would have a much better idea of what Marcus Williams, and the other youngsters, are all about.
4. A New Home - The Izod Center is the NBA equivalent to a morgue. It’s painful to even watch games some nights, dark, quiet, no atmosphere at all. Forget the difficult access for fans, and the lack of any reason to go that area other than a game. Fans still flock to see the Jets and Giants, but football is different, its religion in this country, and its 8 times a year. Whatever the case, the Nets will never draw fans at The Swamp. They need to move, they need to move quick. Here’s hoping Brooklyn actually happens.
5. Shooters - Eddie House, where have you gone? Before the season I never realized how important Eddie House, or another killer shooter was, until you watch a team that cannot consistently bury outside shots. Without a dominant post presence, Jersey needs a knock-down shooter to spot up and give Jason Kidd a target on drives to the basket, and alleviate the double-teams that VC and RJ inevitably receive when they are hot.

Here’s to a great 2008, Happy New Year!

1-11 from the field, down 15-4 to Cleveland, facing another double-digit deficit not even half way through the first quarter, out came the Izod Center boo birds, and sighs of “here we go again”. Then something happened, the Nets came out of the timeout with an 8-0 run, Vince Carter played like a superstar, and Josh Boone and Sean Williams, finally teamed together, helped spark the Net run as they took control of the game. And for a change they maintained the momentum for four quarters. Carter answered each Cavs run with a basket to stop the momentum, while the defense kept Cleveland at bay. It all adds up to a Net win, in what is easily their best overall performance since the opening weeks of the season.

Here are the three keys:

1. VC traded in long-range jumpers for aggressive one on one moves toward the basket. Carter controlled the game, rather than settling. His aggressive approach, led to a better shooting night and more effective 30 point performance for him, and opened up countless easy baskets for his teammates, as the defense focused on Carter. Unlike past games when opponents turned two or three consecutive baskets into double-digit leads, VC answered the bell each time the Cavs made move. This is the $62 million man the Nets paid for.
2. Boone and Williams brought energy to the court and had a major impact on both ends. Boone followed up a 14-rebound effort against the Clippers, with 15 points, while Williams chipped in with 9 of his own. More important, the young guns ran the floor with Kidd, and allowed the Nets to capitalize in transition for the first time in weeks. Boone and Williams also hit the boards harder than their frontcourt mates, to help the Nets out rebound Cleveland by ten.
3. The Nets resorted to a match-up zone for parts of the game, which led to more aggressive defense, more steals, and less open shots. Not only did NJ force Cleveland turnovers, it led to 18 fastbreak points, the most since opening night. They pressured the Cavs for four quarters, with some trap and quality individual defense, a far cry from the lackluster performances during the losing streak. Another benefit, no easy second chance point, as the Nets controlled the defensive boards.

For one night, everything is great. Now the Nets MUST beat a struggling Knicks team that received 0 points from Eddy Curry last night. But winning streaks have to start somewhere.

Quick Notes:
Expect Marcus Williams to play by the end of next week, but do not hold your breath on Nenad Kristic. Still rehabbing, mid to late January sounds more likely for Kristic.

Keep an eye on Coach Frank’s starting lineups the next few games. Last night might mark a changing of the guard, with Boone and Williams emerging as the primary frontcourt players. Allen and Collins did start, but vanished to the bench after the first substitution for good. Will Frank finally make the paradigm shift? If not now, after Boone’s recent play, and the duo’s performance last night, then will he ever?

Jason Kidd sat out last night’s Net loss to the Knicks due to migraine headaches, just like half of working America conspicuously comes down with the flu the Monday after the Super Bowl. A week after the initial rumor that Kidd laid into his Net teammates when the team refused to provide him an extension, sources say the “Captain” missed last nights game in protest and will try to force a trade.

Kidd’s behavior is deplorable on many levels. Not only did he not suit up for the game, a game in which the Nets were already shorthanded, Kidd did not even show up at the arena. Meanwhile, teammate Josh Boone, also sitting out with migraines, was at the arena, and actually forced to suit up in the second half because of foul trouble. Leadership?

The Nets now have Kobe Bryant East on their hands, but at least Kobe spewed his venom in the off season, and last check he still shows up to play each and every night. Kidd will earn $19.7 million this season and another $21.37 million next, the same contract he started the season with, when he called this team “the most talented team I have played on.” My, how quickly things change. Once Kidd decided to take the floor with this team on Opening Night, without a complaint about the team or his contract, he committed to the Nets. Unwarranted in-season complaints make Kidd just another selfish, greedy athlete. If he wanted out, or a new contract, he should have made that clear in June, July, August, etc.

Three years ago Kidd ran Byron Scott out of town, he had a public break-up with his wife, and lest we forget this past summer’s run-in with a female accuser in Manhattan. The Nets stood behind him each time. Last season he openly campaigned to play with Kobe, over the summer he raved about playing with the Dream Team and how great suiting up with those players would be, wink, wink, then the Sports Illustrated article that made no secret that Kidd wants to join LeBron in Cleveland. The Nets front office eventually needs to weigh Kidd’s distractions and poor attitude against his contributions on the court. These actions disrespect his teammates, no matter what they say. He spit in their face by not showing up and saying they are not good enough.

Captain? Leader? Kidd hardly exhibits these traits off the court. If you point to the Nets record as the cause, then point to Jason Kidd as one of the problems because he has been on the court for all but one loss. The numbers are great, as good as ever, but Kidd has played sloppy at times, bad passes and lazy dribbling leading to a number of turnovers, and most important, when the Nets fall behind by 8 or 10 points and need on-court leadership, Kidd has not stepped up. He waits until after the game, using the media to deliver the message. Show some fire on the court, step up and make something happen when the team needs it.

Rod Thorn faces a defining moment for the franchise, stick it out, or trade Kidd and start to rebuild? If nothing changes on the court in the next few weeks, and we have seen no indication it will, Thorn has to seriously entertain a trade. But he should not let Kidd, or any team, hold him hostage since the aging guard is signed through next season, giving Thorn an entire off-season of sign and trade possibilities. But it looks inevitable, the face of the franchise will no longer be J. Kidd.

Vince Carter’s absence unmasked a weak offensive underbelly without the only bona fide scorer on the floor. Blaming the recent six-game losing streak an offense struggling to reach 80 points most nights hid another major problem the Nets have struggled with all season, perimeter defense. The statistics prove it, the boys from The Swamp are dead last in 3-point percentage against, yielding 42% shooting. Each game Nets opponents torch them from beyond the arc, Memphis to the tune of 50% shooting for 33 backbreaking points on Tuesday night.

The scenarios are all too familiar. Jersey double teams a strong post player or provides help defense on the blocks, a kick out and swing pass along the perimeter later an open shooter buries a three with a Net defender running at him late. Second, a Net guard get beat off the dribble, the interior defense collapses in the paint to stop the penetration, kick out open three from the wing. Finally, as Memphis accentuated on Tuesday night, off a Net miss, the opponent goes in transition, the Nets do not get back on defense, someone pulls up for an open 3. Professional players will not continually miss wide open shots. The latter scenario plays out when the Nets go into a malaise, the other team makes a run, they start taking bad shots, get lazy on defense, show that “glass jaw” Jason Kidd referred to, and allow leads to grow quickly from 6 or 8 points to 15 or 18 points. Grant it, Memphis, New Orleans, and Boston are Top 5 3-point shooting teams, but Miami, Orlando, and Portland, to name a few, also torched them.

On the flip side, the Nets take too many three pointers, particularly early in the shot clock. They are fourth from the bottom in 3-point shooting, yet they fire almost a quarter of their shots from downtown. Without a knock down long-range threat, say an Eddie House, the Nets need to focus on running sets and getting easy baskets. The big first half runs where the Nets continue to fall behind by double-digits go from bad to worse because the Nets get flustered and start to hoist three’s, or down by a few points late in the game, someone tries to go for the jugular with a three. Lawrence Frank needs to instill the old baseball axiom, you cannot hit a three-run homer with nobody on base. The Nets need to stop swinging for the fences, take the ball hard to the basket, run the motion offense, and settle for 10-12 foot jumpers if lay-ups are not there.

Despite including the recent three-game win streak, the Nets have allowed over 100 points in 4 of the past 5 games with those three point shots adding up. With the offense shaping up since VC’s return, it’s time buckle down on D.

Quick Notes:br />
Sounds like Marcus Williams is still a few weeks away. Reports this week say he cannot run on the injured right foot two days in a row, and he continues to experience soreness, common during the healing process. Still no timetable, but mid-December may even be too optimistic. Hopefully he returns at 100% before the calendar turns, then we have to see how rusty Marcus is.

Jason Kidd probably does not have a future as a motivational speaker. I agree with Kidd’s assessment of the Nets inability to weather the opponents storm, “we’re so quick to bail, in the sense of mentally letting go of the rope.” I disagree with the timing of his comments and the extreme negativity.

Whether Kidd said a word on Monday or not, the Nets faced a tall order traveling to Utah, still without Carter, in game one of a notoriously difficult West Coast trip, facing a very good Utah team, who is lethal offensively, strong at home, and a bit cranky coming off a blowout loss in Indy. Knute Rockne speeches work best when the team actually has an opportunity to respond…not before Monday night’s blowout loss to Utah. I think after that loss, with two beatable, inexperienced teams upcoming, the rallying cry may work better.

Kidd did not stop with the harsh assessment of his teammates, saying he sees “no light at the end of the tunnel.” Is Kidd waving the white flag after ten games? At 34, does Kidd want out before he watches another year fly by? Good leaders should call out their teammates for lackluster effort, a benign assessment of the Nets last six games, but “no light at the end of the tunnel” sounds bleak, as if the guys in the locker room do not hold the solution. Did the Nets suddenly make wholesale changes since Kidd proclaimed this team as “the most talented team I’ve been on,” [other than the Olympics] only 3 weeks ago?

One last word on J. Kidd - when you decide to open your mouth, back it up on the court. Prior to last night Kidd averaged 15.6 points 10.8 assists, and 10 boards during the losing streak, numbers that warrant calling out teammates for some help. Last night, after his heartfelt commentary, Kidd posted 2 points on 1-9 shooting and 6 turnovers, another blowout loss. Speak softly, but carry a big stick.

• The numbers look bad from every angle. 27th in 3-point shooting, 29th in FG percentage, dead last in points scored and point differential. The Nets cannot throw it in the ocean right now, but even worse, they insist on continuing to hoist up outside shots. Antoine Wright needs to take it hard to the hole, Boki Nochbar should stick the 3 point shot in his back pocket until he starts to hit mid-range jumpers. Boki aggressively drove to the basket a few times when he started against Orlando, before unsuccessfully returning to the 3-point line.

  Without Carter in the lineup, the offense is stagnant and lost. Kidd needs to keep pushing the ball, Coach Frank should spread the court and have them run more set plays, particularly the pick and roll with Sean Williams that was successful against Miami. Finally, the players need to go the extra mile, make hard cuts, set good screens, and get easy baskets. The best way out of a horrendous shooting slump - take easier shots. Wright and Nochbar both have the one-on-one skills to get in the lane, use them.

  Defensively teams kill Jersey with open jump shots. Check out the opponent’s 3-point percentage after each game, gaudy numbers. Same formula, guard gets in the lane or opponent grabs an offensive board, swing the ball around the perimeter, Nets rotate late…swish. Yes, the points against stat shows the defense playing better, but watch the games, this defense has struggled. Maybe just not as much as the offense.

• Portland and Seattle will both play hard, but are young, inexperienced teams the Nets should handle. Expect Carter to return in one of these games, where even at less than 100% his presence will boost the offense. A disgruntled captain, blowout loss after blowout loss, inconsistent playing time causing some grumbling, a coach who may go on the hot seat, and a star player that never takes the court at less than 100%, the Nets need a few wins NOW before the atmosphere gets anymore toxic.

Boston made the big acquisitions and I thought the superstar names blinded everyone to over hype a flawed team. The Celts start 4-0, but I say three wins came at home against struggling teams, and they only nipped Toronto. Now the Nets, rolling again after the aberration against Toronto, would show everyone the Celts are just another good team. After last night, all I can say…Believe the Hype!

When a struggling offense shoots over 70% from the field, and plays what most deem a very good defensive first quarter, but only holds a 27-26 lead, it’s not a good sign. Jersey came out firing, led again by Richard Jefferson (13 1st Qtr. Points), including some authoritative drives to the bucket. They kept Garnett in check, the Celts seemed out of sync offensively, but somehow you look up and they still score 26 points in the quarter.

While the Nets stayed in the game through halftime, Boston kept the pressure on offensively, and then came the second half. The Nets hot shooting turned cold, real cold, as in 0-9 to start the half cold, while Boston kept knocking down 3’s, exploiting a Net defense that was a touch late on rotations after doubling down on the post, a 16-3 led to a 28-14 3rd Quarter Boston advantage, and a blowout.

With three dominant weapons, and the right mix of role players, Boston is relentless on offense. Teams cannot afford to take off even one possession or someone will burn you. Each time the Nets tried to double KG, or provided help defense, the Celts swung the ball around to an open Ray Allen, who torched the Nets for 27 points. When it was not Allen, Paul Pierce man-handled Antoine Wright in isolation situations much of the third quarter, and buried 4-7 from beyond the arc himself, finishing with 28 points. Oh yeah, leave KG in single coverage and he burns you for 18 points.

As much life as the Nets showed in the 4th Qtr, after the game was out of reach, they lacked energy when the offense went south in the 3rd, which led to sloppy turnovers, bad shots, and uninspired defense. Give this Boston team an inch, and you are done. The one spot where New Jersey should have a decided advantage, bench play, Boston dominated. Boki Nochbar and Jamal Magloire played terrible, while Malik Allen barely saw the floor. With Kristic still a non-factor, the Nets are doomed against better teams unless someone steps up. Meanwhile, Eddie House torched his former team from the outside, and rookie Glen “Big Baby” Davis dominated the paint for 17 minutes, snatching 8 boards. When House and Davis impact the game, along with the Big Three, and a steady Rajon Rondo, opponents had better bring their “A” game just to stay within shouting distance, never mind the Celts were shorthanded without Brian Scalabrine and James Posey.

The Nets have now failed their two big early season tests miserably. The next exam comes Wednesday in Boston. It’s still early, but right now, until they prove otherwise, the prognosticators who buried the Nets as a 7th or 8th seed are right, and I am wrong.

* VC left the game in agony after landing awkwardly on his ankle following a one-handed dunk in the third. X-rays were negative, but ankles can be tricky. Doctors will reevaluate him, but do not be surprised to get a look at his collection of fine suits on Monday night. Ironically, the injury came one year to the day that RJ twisted his ankle, leading to months of agony, something the Nets cannot afford with VC finally showing signs of coming to life. Carter shot 8-13 before the injury, his best shooting of the young season.

Richard Jefferson remembered, but apparently his teammates forgot about the game against the Raptors last night. Outside of RJ, the Nets slept walked through an embarrassing 106-69 thrashing at the hands of the Raptors. It’s one of those guys not worth dwelling on, analyzing, or discussing, it was that bad. Teams inevitably have a few each year, put it behind you, and move on. Unfortunately, this putrid performance came in the second game of the season against a team they anticipate battling for the division crown.

Everything went Toronto’s way all night. They could not miss from outside, shooting 50% from the field, and 59% from beyond the arc. For New Jersey, only RJ cracked double-digits with 27, and Sean Williams made an impressive debut with 4 blocked shots in 20 minutes of action. At one point, I was so disillusioned that when Jorge Garbajosa checked in for the Raptors, I could swear I thought Eagle said we have entered garbage time.

Last night put a damper on a nice Opening Night win over Chicago, 112-103 in OT. Though far from impressive, beating a top flight Eastern Conference team in what turned out to be a nip and tuck battle towards the end, is a great way to start. However, blowing a 17-point 3rd Quarter lead, then watching your two star players hoist up air balls during crunch time, does not leave anyone feeling warm and fuzzy.

Vince Carter struggled. Sure, VC filled the stat sheet up (24 pts, 9 reb, 6 ast), but during two critical stretches of the game, when the Bulls went on a run in the third to eventually erase the 17-point deficit, and in the final two minutes of the game with the Nets clinging to a quickly evaporating lead in desperate need of a hoop, VC did not deliver. Carter signed the big contract, I said it in the Preview and all off-season, he needs to step up now. Not just score, but become the go-to guy when the Nets need a hoop. In Game One, RJ and Antoine Wright stepped to the plate while Carter sputtered, and in Game Two VC barely showed up, though he did reach 15,000 career points. If the Nets plan to make noise Carter must score meaningful points, or risk becoming the A-Rod of NY basketball – big numbers, but never when it matters.

And how about Antoine Wright. A career-high 21 points, but most importantly clutch 3-pointers down the stretch and in OT, when the Nets needed it most. RJ and Wright scored the big buckets, with Jefferson’s 29 points and 10 boards leading the charge. After two games, RJ appears out to prove the Nets made a good decision by passing on the trade rumors.

One major problem area exposed in both games, the defense, particularly in the frontcourt. Kristic is day light, and a dollar short on almost every play, and was hit with too many defensive three second calls, an unacceptable mental mistake. Paying close attention, I can see why Coach Frank sticks with Jason Collins so often. Collins plays tough D. The Magloire-Kristic combo, while enticing on the offensive end, looked scary on defense, almost as scary as the Knicks.

By the way, Ben Gordon can light it up. Overall, Gordon struggled shooting (8-25 FG, 3-10 3pt), but the streaky guard almost single-handedly erased the Nets lead during an impressive third quarter stretch.

After what amounts to a half night off, since the starters sat most of the second half, the Nets travel to Philly, who comes off a surprising win in Chicago. The game marks Nenad Kristic’s first back-to-back after the ACL surgery, and a chance to quickly erase any memory of the disgraceful performance against Toronto. Lets see how the Nets respond.

Finally, the preseason minutiae of salary cap, back of the bench roster moves, and meaningless games are over. The Nets capped off a week full of final cuts, none surprising, by unloading the guaranteed contracts of Mile Ilic and Bernard Robinson, neither of whom would ever sniff the Izod Center floor, along with cash to Charlotte for David Wesley. GM Ed Stefanski pulled the Nets about $500k under the luxury cap with the trade. The move also cuts the roster to 13 players, after the Nets cut David Wesley, as widely expected. Another exciting move driven solely by the business of basketball - roster limits and salary caps.

Over the past week, New Jersey also cut Jumaine Jones, Eddie Gill, Mateen Cleaves, and Robert Hite, who had a small portion of guaranteed money. The Gill and Hite moves slightly surprised me. Gill showed an ability to run the point in a pinch, which I see as an insurance policy with Kidd and Darrell Armstrong hampered by preseason injuries, and Marcus Williams out for at least another few weeks. If anything, the move shows Kidd is 100% for the opener. Meanwhile, Hite followed up a solid summer league performance with a nice pre-season. A young, athletic guard, Hite brought more energy, effort, and skill, to the floor than Antoine Wright. With the roster down to 13, the Nets still have room to add another player or two to fill out the roster. Allan Houston rumors immediately surfaced, but the move makes no fiscal sense given any addition would likely site the bench most nights, adding a salary that brings the team over the luxury tax makes no sense, nor do I think Houston wants to come back to see DNP in the box score every night.

News surfaced on Marcus Williams, Josh Boone, and Antonie Wright, the Nets picking up third year options for Williams and Boone, while they declined the fourth-year for Wright. One clarification, for those unfamiliar with the calculus equation and countless rules that accompany rookie contracts, all of these options are for next season (2008-09). Teams have until the Opening Night before the season to pick up options on the final year of the 1st Round draft pick contracts, or leave them open to restricted free agency after the season. Wright, set to make $2.56 million next season, clearly could be resigned for less, or the Nets can find better, cheaper options at backup swingman in the free agent pool. Expect the Nets to decline Nenad Kristic’s fourth-year option as well. Once Kristic proves he has overcome the ACL injury, and shakes off the rust, New Jersey should make a move to extend the contract for 4-5 years, a key move to the Nets future.

Tune in for the Nets preview podcast, right here on NJNetscast.com this week. Only another day until opening tip with Chicago. Go Nets!

You can the throw the records, and the stats, out the proverbial window when Opening Night tips off. They mean absolutely nothing. Seriously, who remembers the Spurs preseason win-loss record from last season, or how many points LeBron James averaged in those exhilarating October showdowns? Nobody cares.

So why follow the Nets this preseason?

1. Health – For established star players, the preseason only serves to physically and mentally prepare for the 82-game grind. VC, Kidd, and RJ, can score 2 points a game or 25 point, as long as they are ready to roll on October 31st. Nenad Kristic returns after major knee surgery, is he fully recovered, can he go full-tilt, how rusty is his game? More questions than answers, the preseason will show where he stands. For RJ, by all indications the injuries of the past few seasons are behind him. The Nets need RJ healthy through the pre-season, and into the regular season, to win the Atlantic. If RJ and Kristic did not bring enough concern before the season, Jason Kidd went down with a back injury last week and has missed most of training camp. Sounds minor, but…

2. Young Player Development – With Marcus Williams, arguably the most talented, highest impact recent Net draft pick, sidelined with a foot injury until mid-November, the focus shifts to two athletic big men and a struggling guard on his last chance. Antoine Wright, the 15th pick from the 2005 draft, must step up after two disappointing seasons. The Nets gave Wright a simple mission, improve your jumper and come back in shape, last year he failed, if he does not show improvement this preseason the Nets may decline his option. Keep an eye on that. In the post, rookie Sean Williams and second-year man Josh Boone will join the fray for playing time. Each brings athleticism and shot blocking, not to mention a semblance of scoring threat (are you listening Jason Collins), to the floor, all attributes the Nets need. Consistency and defense could hold either, or both, back. Williams must show discipline after the Nets took a risk drafting him out of BC after the school removed him from the team for disciplinary reasons. Showing up late for the first preseason game, not a good start.

3. New Acquisitions – The Nets remained quiet this off-season, after resigning Vince Carter, acquiring Jamaal Magloire was the biggest free agent acquisition, despite numerous rumors about Jermaine O’Neal, Garnett, and even Kobe. Will Magloire return to his 2003-04 All-Star form, or continue the regression exhibited during stops in Milwaukee and Portland, becoming more of a distraction than an attribute. Magloire gets a fresh start in Jersey, with a chance to be a major component of a winning team, desperately in need of his double/double skills to get over the top. The only roadblocks, Magloire’s attitude and work ethic. I am curious how much playing time Magloire gets this preseason, a good indication of where he sits on Coach Frank’s favorites list.

4. Big Man Rotation Battle – Assuming Kristic returns to form, four of the five starters are set. Ever since acquiring Jason Kidd the post position has been a revolving door of aging veterans, Mourning, Mutombo, Clifford Robinson, and career journeymen, Brian Scalabrine, Mikki Moore, and Rodney Rogers, to name a few. When injuries hit the starting lineup last season, teams exposed the Nets weak front court, sometimes not even guarding Jason Collins in order to double team Kidd and Carter. The Nets addressed the void, signing Jamaal Magloire and Malik Allen, and drafting Sean Williams. Now these three will battle incumbent Jason Collins, a defensive specialist with NO offensive game, but a Lawrence Frank favorite, and a healthy Josh Boone for playing time. The numbers point to Magloire, a former double-double player, assuming the spot, but Frank loves Collins and values defense. The young guys bring complementary skills to the court, and a shot-blocking presence missing since the pre-knee surgery days of Kenyon Martin. Pre-season box scores mean very little, but watch minutes played with this group to get an idea of where Frank plans to go come Opening Night. Very intriguing. Can we stand another season of Jason Collins starting at center averaging two points a game?

Opening night is right around the corner, the Nets quest for Eastern Conference supremacy begins Halloween night at home against the Bulls. Just how good will the Nets be, playoff team, Atlantic Division champions, perhaps the best in the East? Let us know your predictions for the upcoming season, drop us an e-mail (hosts@njnetscast.com) or hit the call-in line (347) 410-9093.

Listen in for the Season Preview podcast before Opening Night to catch my Net predictions, and hear how your fellow Net fans think the season will play out, all from NJNetscast.