Well 7-7 isn’t exactly first place, but it’s a lot better than most people thought the Nets would be at this point in the season.. And because this is the Eastern Conference we’re talking about, is it asking too much for this team to make the playoffs this season? The truth of the matter is the only reason why this team is still above water is because of the way guys like Devin Harris and Vince Carter have played this season. They give this team a chance to win every night

Speaking of Harris, the guy has shown the perseverance of a true professional and the heart of a warrior so far this season, playing with a bum ankle that should have limited him much more than it has. I mean seriously, can the Nets ask this guy for anymore than he’s giving? On top of that, the guy has a great attitude and has quickly made fans of this team forget the name of Jason Kidd.

It’s the kind of charisma and desire you wish the rest of the team could adopt.

“I’m Devin. I just try to be me,” Harris told Julian Garcia of the NY Daily News. “I don’t try to replace anybody. I figure it’s more of the mind-set we need as a team. We have to have that tough-mindedness.”

As far as the rest of the team is concerned though, I feel they have to start picking up their play in their own end. Too many times already has this team collapsed in this third and fourth quarter [the last game against the Lakers immediately comes to mind.] this season and something has to change soon.

It’s something the coaching staff feels has to be addressed as well.

“If we’re going to win games and we’re going to win games on the road, we have to get significantly better. It’s a process,” Frank told the Associated Press. “We may not be an elite defensive team—obviously, we’re going the opposite way—but we’re going to have to become a much better defensive team.”

With Eduardo Najera and Josh Boone out, things are only going to get tougher, but one player who absolutely has to step it up is Yi Jianlian,. Not even discussing his inconsistent play on offense, his defense has been even worse. After a good first week, he’s almost looked like a different player lately.

“With Yi, it’s not going to be an epiphany, it’s going to be a process,” Frank told Yahoo Sports.

Please don’t turn into another Jason Collins, Yi. It’s bad enough Bobby Simmons is under-performing, the last thing this team needs is another promising big man to turn into a waste of space.

In other news, my Islanders site, TheDriveForFive.com, has been nominated for Islanders blog of the year on YesIslanders.com. However, in order to win, I need votes from you, my readers! If you wish to support me in my quest to become an award-winning blogger, just click the following link and then register [They won't spam you, I promise]. It’s easy!

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After beating the Hawks two games in a row, Nets fans believed the team was ready to turn the corner. And they had plenty of reason to, as a healthy Devin Harris was playing like he was convinced he was a star in this league and Vince Carter was doing more than holding his own.

Reality then set in though after a disappointing 106-82 loss to the Cavaliers, where aside from Harris, the team had serious problems scoring and away from the ball had problems defending.

Like I’ve already said a bunch of times on the site, the Nets will only get as far as they can get collectively. They have to get production from everyone in order to stay successful. If not, Harris and Carter are going to score their 20 points a game and the team is going to lose by 15 points every night.

One of the guys that has to step up is Brook Lopez, especially with Josh Boone out for the foreseeable future. Averaging 6.4 boards and 7.6 points a game thus far, if Lopez can get himself to a double-double per game, the Nets will be in much better shape.

Still learning what his body is capable of at this level, Lopez knows this season is going to full of bumps and bruises both physically and emotionally.

“It’s more a mental issue,” Lopez told the New York Daily News. “I can’t question my talent. It will be there. I just can’t let myself get down like that. I have to bounce back and be ready for the next play. That’s what these guys keep telling me: ‘Next play. Next play.’ That’s what I’ve got to look forward to.”

Anderson Coming Around- A few weeks ago, I said I thought Nets first-year forward needed more playing time, especially with Bobby Simmons’ play leaving something to be desired. Well, in the team’s two wins this week, Anderson had a combined 33 points and was six for six from three-point land. Simply put, Anderson’s shooting ability alone should give him more time out there and if Simmons continues to falter and Yi Jianlian’s strained neck keeps him out of the lineup, you should definitely see a bit more of Anderson.

That to me is a very good thing. A good thing indeed.

“It’s too easy. Too easy. It’s a great way to play. I’m spotting up on the three-point line, and my shot’s felt real good lately,” Anderson told the Associated Press. “Vince is getting everybody open. And Devin is passing it. Those guys are demanding so much attention now with their scoring ability you can’t help but get open shots.”

With a 2-5 record through seven games, it’s fair to say I’m not talking about the Los Angeles Lakers. For all it’s worth though, in the two wins this team has this season, they’ve looked like a completely different team out there. They rebound better, they play much better defense, and they hustle. In their losses though, they get destroyed on the perimeter and have no jump to their game.

Take the recent loss to the Pacers as a perfect example of that. After battling back from 16 points down, this team just comes up lame and forgets about doing the little things on the court that got them back into the game in the first place. I know with Devin Harris out, the Nets are running a little thin in the energy department, but where are the rest of these guys? Vince Carter can only score 20 points a game and aside from Keyon Dooling, who has been solid in place of Harris, the rest of these guys look a bit out of place.

Nets coach Lawrence Frank sees this as a potential problem as well.

“We’re putting a lot of stress and strain on Keyon and Vince,” Frank told the AP “You’re asking both those guys to play basically 39 minutes a night at both ends. You’re asking a lot of them, and it changes your rotation a little bit. Pus, Devin is one of our best paint attackers, so we have to get enough paint penetration using Vince and Keyon as hubs.”

One guy that has to step up is Bobby Simmons. 26 minutes a game and he’s only pulling down seven points a game? Start taking more three’s buddy; that’s about the only thing you’re hitting right now. In order for this team to break out of this funk a guy like Simmons, has got to step up and score 1,000 points this season. Otherwise, the Nets bench will have to come up with someone else that can produce.

In other news, AP round ball writer Tom Canavan wrote an interesting piece yesterday, detailing a plan for the Nets to give away 1,500 tickets to unemployed fans that submit resumes to them.

Talk about taking the recession by the horns.

“Our belief right now is let’s invest in people who might invest in us later,” Nets chief executive Brett Yormark told the AP. “In doing so, we can help people who need it most.”

Even the Nets themselves think it’s a good idea.

“I think it’s great,” forward Jarvis Hayes, told the AP. “Everybody knows the economy is struggling right now and if people can turn in their resumes to our sponsors and get jobs, I think it is wonderful. Hopefully, when the economy turns around we’ll have more fans.”

After a convincing season opener against the Wizards, the New Jersey Nets have dropped their last two games, the latter being a disgusting loss to the Phoenix Suns where they were ripped limb from limb on defense.

“They could really play,” Devin Harris told the Centre Daily Times after the loss. “I mean they pound the ball in and they shot exceptionally well. Sometimes we give them too much of one, tonight we gave them both and you can’t really trade baskets with them.”

Duh.

Aside from the shoddy defensive play however, it’s nice to see now that the Nets have options on the bench and finally have the big bodies to hold their own down low. Now it’s just a matter of getting all those pieces together, working on the same page. Once that happens and guys like Ryan Anderson get more than 16 minutes a game, this team will be right around .500 where they should be.

Things aren’t going to get easier for the Nets tonight either as Allen Iverson will make his debut for the Pistons.

Ask any Net and they’ll tell you too. This is their first big Eastern Conference test this season.

“He’s willing to sacrifice,” Harris told the Philadelphia Daily News of Iverson. “He’s proven that he can still get assists, that he can be that assists guy. He still likes to get his shots up, though obviously that’s one of the things that have to give if they’re going to start him at the point. Playing pick-and-roll with ‘Sheed’ [Rasheed Wallace] and Allen, that’s pretty much a nightmare.”

Simmons has to get going- If this guy is going to get 23 minutes of playing time a game, he has to score more than seven points a game. Overall, he hasn’t looked like the player he was on the Clippers a few years back or even the guy who was solid with the Bucks in ’06. While his confidence doesn’t look completely shattered, it feels like he’s not comfortable yet in the Nets offense.

“I just need to be more aggressive, if it’s putting the ball on the floor getting to the basket, maybe getting offensive rebounds, putbacks, things of that nature instead of just waiting for the ball to come to me,” Simmons told the AP.

Talk about cliché-riddled. Nevertheless, the guy is right on the ball here. If he’s not hitting threes and doing the other things that make him dangerous, mixing it up down low couldn’t hurt, could it?