1 New Jersey Nets

They don't seem like the most natural fit: free-agent signee Alonzo Mourning and the Princeton offense. Mourning is a 6'10" back-to-the-basket post man who in 10 NBA seasons has shown all the finesse of a bulldozer. New Jersey's everybody-gets-a-touch system, on the other hand, requires big men to handle the ball, make pinpoint passes and perform dribble handoffs.

The solution? Call it Camp Zo. A month before the rest of the Nets showed up for preseason training, Mourning began reporting at 11 every weekday morning. After an hour of workouts he would join coach Byron Scott and his assistants for 45 minutes of instruction in the offense. "It made all the difference," says Scott. "He would have been a month behind, but he came in every day and made a lot of progress." Mourning, 33, doesn't feel quite acclimated yet. "I'm picking it up slow," he says. "I'm not accustomed to handling the ball this much. I've got to read the cuts more, and that dictates my movement."

Mourning says he hasn't touched the ball this much so far from the basket since grade school. On top of that, he's quickly learning about—and appreciating—playing with compulsively unselfish point guard Jason Kidd. "You've got to be ready because he'll hit you with the ball at any moment," says Mourning, shaking his head. "I have to be prepared at all times."

The most important adjustment, of course, will involve Mourning's body. He missed all of last season because of focal glomerulosclerosis, a kidney disease, and says he spent the summer working on his endurance. Entering the season, he was a rock-solid 259 pounds, though he expects his weight to drop as the season progresses. "I feel good," he says. "Whatever this team needs from me, I'll do it."