Winning three of their last four games, the New Jersey Nets are contending for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but not by much.

Currently tied with the Atlanta Hawks with the final slot in the Eastern Conference, the drastically revamped Nets feel they owe it to themselves to make the playoffs and put the bumps and bruises of what has been a season-long stretch of inconsistency, behind them.

“It’s always important. In this league it’s so important to be in the postseason. We’ve been fortunate because we’ve been there six years in a row,” explained coach Lawrence Frank to the Associated Press. “We don’t want to let down that legacy of achievement. Think about it. There’s only been four teams—and we’re one of them—that have made it six years in a row, so there’s got to be something to it.”

However, all is not well in Nets-Land, especially for former first round pick Marcus Williams. Scoring only 28 points in his last five games, Williams was picked out by Nets head coach Laurence Frank as someone who has to step up for them to be able to get into the postseason.

“We’re going to need better,” he said, before giving a less than favorable assessment. “He’s definitely talented,” Frank told the AP, stressing “the intensity, you have to bring every single day (and) to be able to defend against the better guys he has to put himself in optimal condition. He has to put himself in the best shape of his life—as a younger player you’re now asked to do more. That means you have to be reliable and in order to be reliable you have to be consistent and in order to be consistent you have to be committed every single day.”

Nevertheless, regardless of the ineffectiveness of Williams and nagging injuries to key players Bostjan Nachbar, Nenad Krstic and new point guard Devin Harris, the Nets know what they have to do in order to make the playoffs.
“It basically comes down to this: We have to play our best basketball in the last month — the way we were supposed to play all year,” Nets center Josh Boone told the New Jersey Star Ledger. “But that’s the way it is every year with this team. It always comes down to which team can put it together at the right time. We put together a great run at the end of last year (and in 2004), and hopefully these three home games are a springboard for another big finish this year. We definitely have it in us.”