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Nets at a Glance Coach: Byron Scott Last Year: 52-30 (Stats) Key Additions: PG Chris Childs, C Dikembe Mutombo, PF Rodney Rogers Key Losses: PG Anthony Johnson, C Todd MacCulloch, SF Keith Van Horn Projected Starters PG Jason Kidd SG Kerry Kittles SF Richard Jefferson PF Kenyon Martin C Dikembe Mutombo Key Subs PG Chris Childs SG Lucious Harris PF Rodney Rogers C Aaron Williams

By John Hollinger, CNNSI.com

The Nets put together a magical campaign in 2001-02. Thanks to the trade for Jason Kidd, the return of Kerry Kittles and the arrival of Richard Jefferson, the Nets stormed from a 26-win campaign the previous year to the top of the Eastern Conference. That they were swept by the Lakers in the Finals hardly mattered; by that time, the season already had been a smashing success.

In an effort to have a better chance at stopping Shaquille O'Neal should they face him in this year's Finals, the Nets took a gamble and shuffled the deck in the offseason. They sent out two key offensive players, Keith Van Horn and Todd MacCulloch, and in return got a defensive stopper in Dikembe Mutombo. To replace some of the scoring punch, they also signed free-agent forward Rodney Rogers.

The Nets have their eyes on the big prize, but getting out of the Eastern Conference is hardly a given. New Jersey was taken the distance in the first round by Indiana a year ago, and figures to be in a dogfight with the Pacers, as well as the 76ers, for the conference crown this season.

Jason Kidd, G -- Kidd isn't a traditional go-to guy in that the Nets don't draw up plays for him to score. But if something good happens for the Nets, Kidd is usually the guy who starts it. His phenomenal defense, an underrated aspect of his game, is the catalyst for one of the league's fiercest defensive clubs and also helps set up the fastbreak attack that supplies so many of New Jersey's points. Kidd is outstanding running the break and gets into it often because he can rebound the ball(7.2 rpg) and lead the way.

Kidd only shoots out of necessity, which is a good idea since he hit 39 percent last year. However, at 9.9 assists per game, he's still the most important part of the Nets' offense, setting up dunks for Kenyon Martin and Kerry Kittles on the break or picking a steal and getting the layup himself.

Offense -- The Nets were not a particularly good offensive team last year. They ranked in the middle of the pack with a 44.6 field-goal percentage and were near the bottom in 3-point and free-throw shooting; they also were the only team besides the Nuggets without a single 15-point-per-game scorer. That would be cause enough for concern, but their offseason moves traded out what were arguably their two best scoring options.

As good as the Nets were in transition last year, they were rather ordinary in the halfcourt, and usually it was a jump shot by Van Horn or a post-up by MacCulloch that got them points in those settings. Those two are gone now, however, leaving the Nets to rely on the unskilled Mutombo in the post or the more varied game of Rogers.

How much does Mutombo have left?

The key to the Nets' season is Mutombo. New Jersey gave up quite a bit to get him, but if Mutombo wins the rebound title and the Defensive Player of the Year Award, like he did two years ago in Philadelphia, there's little doubt the price will be worth it.

The problem is that Mutombo was a shadow of that player last season. It was especially noticeable during the playoffs, when, ironically enough, Rogers (then with Boston) tormented him by hanging out on the 3-point line and making Mutombo give chase. Unfortunately, Mutombo's offensive skills are so limited that he can't make teams pay for defending him with a smaller player, so the Nets may face a lot of "smallball" alignments this year.

Adding worry is Mutombo's age. While he is allegedly 36, nobody is really sure how old Mutombo is, and last year he looked like a guy who was aging in dog years. The Nets have taken a leap of faith that Mutombo still has something left in the tank; how that gamble plays out will define their season.

A few points short

Fast Facts • Jason Kidd's 7.2 rebounds per game were the most of any NBA point guard. • All 14 power forwards who played at least 2,500 minutes last year averaged 7.6 rebounds per game or more -- except Kenyon Martin, who averaged 5.3.

The Nets look like the anti-Mavs: all defense, no offense. They were hard enough to score against last year, but with Richard Jefferson replacing Keith Van Horn and Dikembe Mutombo replacing Todd MacCulloch, it should be nigh well impossible to get a basket on New Jersey in 2002-03.

Despite their defensive prowess, however, the Nets still may not have enough to repeat as conference champions. It's tough to catch lightning in a bottle two years in a row -- just ask the 76ers -- and the Nets' injury-free glide through last year is unlikely to repeat itself. Moreover, by focusing on Shaquille O'Neal, the Nets have done nothing to address their biggest weakness, scoring. In fact, they took a step backward in that area during the offseason.

New Jersey has a deep roster, and the roster is so littered with defensive talent that it's possible they could return to the Finals even with a few injuries and a bad break or two. Chances are, however, that this year's version will end up a few baskets short of a return engagement.