Net returns

Jersey  hopes third trip to Finals will be the charm

By John Hollinger, SI.com

Nets at a Glance Head coach: Byron Scott 2002-03: 49-33 2002-03 Stats Key Additions PG Zoran Planinic (draft) C Alonzo Mourning (Heat) Key Losses C Dikembe Mutombo (Knicks) PG Anthony Johnson (Pacers) Projected Lineup Starters Reserves PG  J. Kidd Z. Planinic SG  K. Kittles L. Harris SF  R. Jefferson B. Scalabrine PF  K. Martin R. Rogers C  A. Mourning J. Collins

For all that the Nets were in the news this offseason, they barely changed their roster.

Yet the tumult of the summer is an ongoing issue for the two-time Eastern Conference champs heading into the season. Jason Kidd re-signed with the team after being courted heavily by the Spurs over the summer, but he made it clear that his relationship with coach Byron Scott is frayed. Making matters worse, the buffer between the two, assistant Eddie Jordan, left to become coach of the Wizards. As a result, Scott's status is unusually tenuous for a guy who led his team out of the basketball desert.

The Nets' lone major move was to sign Alonzo Mourning as a free agent. He missed all of last season to deal with his kidney condition but appeared in good health during the preseason. He'll be counted on to provide the defensive dominator and occasional post presence the Nets hoped Dikembe Mutombo would become. Mutombo, alas, was found wanting in that role and given $30 million to go away. The only other change comes at point guard, where Kidd's backup will be Croatian rookie Zoran Planinic after last year's understudy, Anthony Johnson, left for Indiana.

Defense. The Nets are known for their fast-breaking behind Kidd, but the only reason they can run so much is because they get so many stops at the defensive end. The Nets were arguably the best defensive team in the NBA last season. Only Detroit gave up fewer points a game than the Nets' 90.1, and that was because the Pistons slowed the game to a crawl.

Only two teams forced more turnovers than the Nets, setting the stage for all those three-on-one breaks going the other way. The backcourt was the key. Kidd is the best defensive guard in the league, with enough quickness to stay in front of anybody but the size (6-foot-4, 212 pounds) to defend shooting guards. His board work is an underrated aspect -- he's the NBA's best rebounding point guard, and that allows him to grab a carom and start the break by himself. Meanwhile, Kidd's trademark manic intensity sends him bouncing all over the court to disrupt plays, helping him combine with off-guard Kerry Kittles to snag nearly four steals a game.

Up front it's the same story. Kenyon Martin isn't big for a power forward, but his crazy hops and incredible tenacity have made him one of the league's best at handling guys in the post. Small forward Richard Jefferson is another top-notch athlete with intensity to match.

What's amazing about the Nets is that they dominated defensively without blocking shots. Twenty teams swatted more than New Jersey; in fact, only Mutombo averaged even a block a game. That should change this year with the presence of Mourning. Given that New Jersey's centers weren't particularly overwhelming a year ago, a healthy Mourning could transform a defense that was already one of the league's best into an asphyxiating nighmare.

Halfcourt Offense. It's a good thing the Nets play such good defense and get so many fast-break chances, because once they get in the halfcourt they stink. The Nets don't have a single player with a refined post game, which means they draw a double-team about once every lunar eclipse and have few options for set plays. Nearly every player is vastly more effective in transition. Kidd is dynamite in the open court, but his shooting is a liability when things slow down, while Martin doesn't do enough in the post to command double teams and Jefferson struggles when he isn't flying to the rim.

The proof is in the pudding. Despite all the fast-break dunks and layups, 16 teams still shot a higher percentage than New Jersey's 44.1 last year. The Nets ranked 23rd in made 3-pointers and 22nd in 3-point percentage; the only player to shoot better than the league average from downtown was Kittles, at 35.6 percent.

San Antonio was able to exploit this in the Finals by getting players back on defense to stifle New Jersey's fast breaks. Forced to rely on their halfcourt offense, the Nets didn't clear 90 points the entire series and shot a brutal 37 percent from the field. Granted, not every opponent will have Tim Duncan and David Robinson patrolling the middle, but that series underlined the Nets' inability to generate halfcourt offense in neon highlighter as wide as the Jersey Turnpike. One has to imagine the Nets' rivals in the East noticed this, too.

On the bright side, this is another area where Mourning's arrival can make a difference. If he can draw double teams down low and create more space for the other Nets, they could be much more effective when things slow down. Which takes us to the big question ...

Can 'Zo stay healthy? To say that the Nets gambled on Mourning is an understatement. They gave a four-year deal to a player who has played only 88 games over the past three seasons. Unlike players with regular injuries, Mourning doesn't have a torn ligament or an ankle sprain that just needed to heal to make him good as new. His kidney condition requires constant monitoring, and it could cause him to have to take an extended absence at a moment's notice. In fact, that's how he missed the 2002-03 season.

Given those parameters, expecting Mourning to give New Jersey four healthy seasons is about as realistic as an episode of Playmakers. The Nets walked into that gamble with full knowledge because they're taking a calculated risk that their club is a player away from a championship. Mourning, if healthy in June, has a chance of being that player.

But to make good on that gamble will not only require luck, but also great restraint. They picked up Mourning to win playoff games, not regular-season ones, which Byron Scott will have to continually remind himself as the season progresses. Just because Mourning looks healthy doesn't mean he can use 'Zo 40 minutes a night. Forget about kid gloves -- the Nets need to treat him with infant gloves. It may cost them a few regular-season games because Jason Collins is seeing key minutes instead of Mourning, but that's a trade-off they'll happily live with if it means Mourning is hearty and productive in the postseason.

Third time not a charm. Even if Mourning stumbles, Detroit would appear to be the only team in the East that can seriously threaten New Jersey's stranglehold on the conference championship. The unfortunate problem, however, is that once again the Nets look like they don't quite stack up with the best in the West. As good as they looked a year ago, six teams in the West put up better records against a tougher schedule. It will probably take more than Mourning to bridge that gap.

John Hollinger covers basketball for SI.com and is the author of Pro Basketball Prospectus. Click here to send him a question or comment.