Jason Kidd obviously doesn’t want to play on the Nets anymore, but that hasn’t stopped him from playing his heart out. Last night was just another example of that as the point guard added another triple double under his belt and fueled a 104-90 win over the Bobcats. Richard Jefferson wasn’t too bad either, adding 23 points of his own, while Josh Boone and Sean Williams were solid too.

If this team wants to make the playoffs this season, this is the type of effort they have to get on a more consistent basis. Vince carter was stronger on the boards then he usually is and Boone and Williams were factors as well. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell that Williams and Boone aren’t the next coming of Jayson Williams, but they can be strong on the boards if they work hard, which will help guys like Jefferson and Carter get more chances on offense. If that happens, the Nets could get hot and get past the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and extend their season an extra week or two.

I’ve said it all season, but I really think if Boone and Williams were given a real shot that they could put up solid numbers. With Nenad Krstic still not ready to assume his role in the starting lineup, I think we’re starting to see small glimpses of what these two can do. While a healthy and dominant Krstic would be a better option, Boone and Williams are more than serviceable and can even flourish once they start to get more experience. With the jury still out on how long it’ll take for Krstic to be his old self again, Boone and Williams should get better as the season goes on. That may not be enough for the Nets to make the playoffs and get past the first round, but it should play a part in keeping them competitive for the rest of the season.

In other news, I think I can officially say that the NBA has changed drastically over the past two weeks, with Shaq going to the Suns and Pau Gasol going to the Lakers. With these moves going down, I wonder what the Eastern Conference has up their sleeves. Losing Kidd seems inevitable at this point and Rod Thorn has expressed an interest in shopping Vince Carter. Trading both of them will change the Nets drastically and only time will tell if they come out a better team in the end.