The way the Nets offense muddled through most of the season, it’s safe to say that a tighter defensive system could have saved a few games down the stretch and perhaps nabbed them a playoff spot. Early on through this season however, through voluntary practices, the team seems to be taking the necessary steps to becoming a more than solid defensive team.

With a team this young, it’s good they’re shooting for an identity early on and considering the voluntary practices have been going on for quite some time, it’s quite possible that the team could come into camp stronger than the other teams they’ll be fighting for a playoff spot with.

Add in a few young faces like Ryan Anderson, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Yi Jianlian and Brook Lopez, alongside veterans Eduardo Najera, Bobby Simmons, Jarvis Hayes and Keyon Dooling, who all have something to prove on offense and it’s easy to see that this could be an energetic group of guys that have the speed, depth and size to challenge for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.

“Defense,” said Najera, told Yahoo Sports. “We’re emphasizing it every day, and you can see the strides. We want that as our identity, especially now, because we’re young and that’s the one thing that you can do together as a team. We’re aware of that. It’s what we want to accomplish, to be known as a defensive team.”

Well, it may not be the most exciting type of basketball to watch if you’re a fan or member of the media, but it may be just what the doctor ordered for this young team. It would be way too easy to try and let Devin Harris, Vince Carter and the youngsters who can shoot go out there and have a grand ole time on the court, running up insane amounts of turnovers and sometimes points on the scoreboard. However, showing restraint and playing a smart game, especially on the defensive end, may play a part in maturation factor of many of these young players, giving Nets coach Laurence Frank an opportunity to take more chances down the stretch and let the guys off the chains as the season develops.

Setting a sort of sublimely mandated system like this, focusing more on the defensive game will also take plenty of pressure off of Carter on offense and instead should build a kind of team camaraderie very quickly. Will it play a part in the team making the playoffs this season? I think it’s too early to tell just yet, but it should be interesting to watch develop as the season progresses.

Over the past few years, NBA pundits and analysts alike referred to Richard Jefferson, Jason Kidd and Vince Carter as the New Jersey Nets’ “Big Three.” With two-thirds of the trio now gone, I take a look at the players that have the biggest opportunity to become the driving force in the team’s rebuilding process and become members of the “New Big Three.”

Devin Harris- I think this is the obvious choice for the second member of the “New Big Three.” Finally establishing himself away from the likes of Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas, Harris proved that he could lead an offense if he had to. Now with a cup of a coffee under his belt and more than enough time to get adjusted in New Jersey, Harris should have the best season of his young career this season.

The rest of these aren’t so easy to assess however. Nevertheless, here are my choices for those who may eventually take up the final spot:

Ryan Anderson- I really like his shooting ability and while I wasn’t originally thrilled that the Nets got rid of Boki Nachbar, I see Anderson filling in just fine for him and providing plenty of depth in a sixth man type role. With Josh Boone stepping up his play last season and guys like Sean Williams needing time on the court, I think it’s fair to say that Anderson will be playing 20-25 minutes a game at power forward.

Brook Lopez- While Boone played well at center last season, I see him moving over to power forward and splitting time with a host of other players. Lopez, however, I see being the team’s go to guy at center, playing about 25-30 minutes a game. Chances are, if his defense can be solid enough, he could turn into a solid center that can score 10-13 PPG and nab about six to eight rebounds.

Yi Jianlian- Billed as an international star on the team’s official website, Yi will have the same opportunity as Harris this season. Can he live up to the hype and be what the Nets need? Let me just say this, Yi will not be able to replace Jefferson, but I do think he’s another guy that can and will score 10-13 points a game this season.

Chris Douglas-Roberts- Because of his ability to play both guard and forward, I think DR may get more playing time than Yi and Anderson. His offensive ability combined with that versatility make him an interesting guy to watch as well.

Final Verdict:

The days of the big three are over.

They never nabbed the Nets a championship and now it’s time to move forward with young players. These guys may not have the star power of Kidd and Jefferson, but they’ll be fun to watch. That combined with the other pickups the team has made will give the team more depth than they had last season and will make the season an interesting one.

Photo from BrookLopez.info

After parting ways with Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson, the already mediocre Nets could have done one of two things: make a splash in a relatively stale free agent class or begin to build the future. Bringing in a stable core of veterans, noted for their character and work ethic, along with drafting three quality players who provide depth and some missing dynamism, the Nets are hopefully building what will be a team that can eventually make the playoffs and thrive on a consistent basis.

With players the likes of Eduardo Najera, Jarvis Hayes, Keyon Dooling and Bobby Simmons on the bench, the Nets will have plenty of depth, especially at the guard and forward positions. Add in rookies Brook Lopez, Ryan Anderson and Chris Douglas-Harris with an already young group of guys such as Sean Williams, Josh Boone and Yi Jianlian and it’s easy to see how much potential the Nets have.

However with such potential, there lies a problem. How do all of these players get the necessary playing time they need to be effective? Much like the Jamaal Magloire situation last season, just because you’ve had success playing in other cities, doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily be successful in New Jersey. Nets coach Laurence Frank is known to play favorites [can anyone remember why Jason Collins was even allowed on the floor last season?], so with that being said, who will suffer because of it? Everyone knows that Vince Carter and Devin Harris are locks in the starting lineup, but after that it’s pretty much a crap shoot.

So how exactly does this benefit the team? What I believe is simple: Someone is going to have t step up and take a starting spot. Much like Boone established himself last season after Nenad Krstic couldn’t get it done, someone off the bench needs to make it undeniably clear that they want to be a starter in this league. Otherwise, the mixing and matching will start and the Nets won’t be able to gel.

Simply put, many of the players on this team are used to playing at least 20 minutes a game. How Frank gets everyone the playing time they need to thrive is going to be very tough. Nevertheless, that kind of pressure is nothing uncommon for an NBA coach. In spite of that though, it should be interesting to see who is one the court for the opening tip-off.

Photo by FanNation.com

Of the 16 players on the Nets roster right now, nine of them have less than two years experience at the pro level. Of the eight that have played significantly at the pro level, only Darrell Armstrong [a free agent who's chances of sticking with the team look very doubtful] and Vince Carter have ten years or more experience. Then you have a guy like Keith Van Horn, who is on the roster because he forgot to sign his retirement papers.

So considering all of this, what can Nets fans expect from this team this season?

As I’ve said in previous posts, Vince Carter is going to have to be a leader. He’s going to be asked to do everything he does on the court and them some, in addition to helping these kids, guys like Brook Lopez, Ryan Anderson and Chris Douglas-Roberts get their feet wet and get them to produce very quickly. If they don’t then they’ll get less time on the court and guys like Yi Jianlian, Josh Boone and Sean Williams will have to take center stage.

For a guy like Jianlian, who Nets GM Kiki Vandeweghe has compared to Dirk Nowitzki, it’s time to prove the Nets got their monies worth when they dealt away their leading scorer Richard Jefferson a few months ago.

The same thing goes for Devin Harris, who now has an opportunity to be a leader and convince the pundits in the NBA that he’s more than a secondary scorer who doesn’t have the consistency to be a legitimate threat on both sides of the ball.

Josh Boone can continue to develop as a center and a guy who has become a much better shooter and rebounder since entering the league. Sean Williams can get back to the play he exhibited during the first half last season and be more than a guy who can stuff the ball down your throat if you give him an opportunity.

And if these guys manage to falter down the stretch, Keyon Dooling, Eduardo Najera and Jarvis Hayes will get opportunities to get the playing time they haven’t gotten in other organizations.

Will it all work out in the Nets favor? It’s too early to tell to be honest, but it’s obvious that for the first time in a very long time, the Nets have options up and down the roster, instead of relying on the “big three.”

It’s going to be a different feeling for Nets fans this season, but it should be interesting to say the very least.

He may have averaged four less points a game last season and shown signs of losing a step, but Vince Carter is now the Nets only bona-fide superstar.

Say goodbye forever to “The Big Three” and hello to the “Vince Carter and Friends show.”

With all the moves the team has made this off-season, Carter knows this may be the unveiling of a new chapter in his career that may put him in an unlikely role, the leader.

From the look of it, it seems like he’s ready to go and make the most of it.

“I never questioned what they’re doing and I definitely wanted to be here,” said Carter to Yahoo Sports. “It’s the way it goes. It’s the business of basketball. Sometimes guys get moved who didn’t want to. You have to accept it and I’m going to make the best of it. This is my opportunity to step up and be a leader on and off the court.”

With all the youngsters and bench players on the team this season, Carter knows this team is a bit tricky to dissect. Nevertheless, he understands the situation and knows that if players produce, the Nets have an opportunity to control their season more than anyone in the NBA currently thinks.

“We all have something to prove,” Carter told Yahoo Sports. “It’s an opportunity for those guys who weren’t starters or didn’t play big minutes somewhere else or were shafted or whatever the situation may be to come here and write their own story.”

That story he thinks can be an interesting one.

“The good thing about it is we have a lot of veterans and they know how to adapt, how to make it happen and bring along the young guys,” Carter said to Nets beat writer Julian Garcia on Wednesday.

With a bigger, stronger and more-balanced lineup, Carter can be the leader of a gritty, energetic and upstart bunch of misfits that can challenge for the last two playoff spots in the East. Once the playoffs begin, then it’s wide open territory and the Nets can surprise a few people.

I’m sure that no one expected the Atlanta Hawks of all teams to give the Boston Celtics a run for their money in the playoffs last season, so if the Nets put themselves in a situation in the playoffs against a team they match up well against, this season has the possibility of getting quite exciting.

Boki Nachbar’s may be headed to Russia, and Marcus Williams is on his way to Golden State, but the Nets seem to be on their own way to putting a competitive team on the court, while simultaneously planning ahead.

Getting a first round pick for Williams, Nets GM Kiki Vandeweghe just crossed Chris Mullin over and broke his ankles. After a decent first year with the team, Williams was downright awful last season, earning himself considerable time in coach Laurence Frank’s dog house and finding himself lost in the shuffle. With another first round pick in 2009, the Nets will be able to continue to develop from within, while still having the cap-space necessary to make a big time move in 2010.

Sounds good to me.

However, while the first round pick was a good pickup, the acquisition of Keyon Dooling adds some support for Devin Harris, while giving the Nets bench even more versatility on the bench. With all the draft picks and recent acquisitions, this team is starting to fill out quickly and with the addition of Dooling, looks like it can compete for the last two playoff spots in the East.

“Keyon is a versatile NBA veteran, and we are pleased to add him to our roster,” Nets president Rod Thorn said on Yahoo Sports. “His ability to play both the point and shooting guard positions will add flexibility and depth to our backcourt rotation.”

While I believe Dooling will have a diminished role on the Nets, considering Devin Harris is a lock for big time minutes at point guard and Vince Carter’s tendency to eat minutes at shooting guard, Dooling
will be a competent defensive replacement and scorer off the bench when those guys need a break. Being able to play both guard positions, I feel that Dooling was a pretty good pickup and someone that at the very least, makes the Nets look better on paper.

The Nets feel pretty much the same way, but feel his defensive ability and personality off the court was a perfect fit for their rebuilding team.

“I think it’s more relevant on the defensive end,” Frank said Wednesday to Yahoo Sports. “Keyon is a well-coached player. … I love guys who play with energy, passion and who love to play. He’s a bubbly guy and that’s the way he plays. He’s the same way as a person as he is as a player.”

According to the Associated Press, both Josh Boone and Marcus Williams have been inked to contracts that will keep them on the team through 2009. Scoring 4.2 points a game last season, while averaging 11 minutes a game before suffering a shoulder injury, Boone definitely has room to improve. However, with the ineffectiveness of Jason Collins and the uncertainty of Jamal Magloire and Sean Williams, having Boone come off the bench or possibly start is hardly a bad thing.

As a matter of fact, I think that Boone may even have the skill and potential to be a solid contributor on the team. I know I’m not speaking for myself when I say that Collins hasn’t done a thing for the team in quite some time. He’s basically just a big body at this point in his career. Having Boone play a bigger role would make the Nets much more athletic and much stronger on defense.

While Marcus Williams is still injured as of today, still nursing a broken foot, when he comes back, he should be a solid alternative to Darrel Armstrong at point guard. Overall, having both of these guys on the bench helps solidify a Nets bench that really isn’t that bad, despite having a bevy of guards that aren’t going to get enough playing time to be as productive as they need to be.

Nevertheless, the Nets made another move that helped solidify the bench, trading for the well-traveled David Wesley. A few weeks ago, I wrote about how the Nets were looking to shop Bernard Robinson and Mile Ilic. A few people e-mailed me and left comments after that post, saying that no one would want to pick up either one of those players. Sadly enough, the Hornets took the bait and as a result, the Nets have another guard on their roster.

This kind of fills the gap the team believed they had when Allan Houston went and signed with the Knicks. The reason why I’m saying this is that Wesley and Houston can both still shoot the basketball, but can’t play defense to save their lives. With Vince Carter getting 35 minutes a game, Wesley is probably going to get anywhere from 10-15 minutes a night.

In that kind of role, I think Wesley can score about six points a game and provide the team with some solid bench scoring. That combined with Boone, both Williams’, Wesley and Collins, the Nets bench actually gets much more dependable.

While Robinson and Ilic are spare parts at best, that wouldn’t have played a part in the team’s success this season anyway, is a 37-year old that only averaged 2.2 points last season really worth trading two players for?

I have no idea. I guess we’re just going to have to see what Wesley can do on the court this season.

I keep hearing all this nonsense about Allan Houston joining the Nets lately.

First I saw something in the Star-Ledger, then I saw something on the Pennsylvania Sports Ticker and now today on Yahoo Sports.

While his chronic knees have probably healed up since he hasn’t played a game in three seasons, is he really worth a guaranteed contract?

I don’t think so.

Even if the Nets manage to sign him for a relatively safe sum, there are still several problems with the former Olympian’s game that need to be addressed however.

Always a defensive liability, even when healthy, Houston’s presence in the Nets lineup won’t be able to help them nearly as much as some hardcore fans think. I mean, it’s obvious that he may be able to provide solid secondary scoring and everyone knows that the Nets could use a guy with a good jumper off the bench since Mikki Moore is gone, but how many minutes is this guy going to be able to get with Vince Carter playing 38 minutes a game?

Not the toughest player on the court either, Houston isn’t going to slotted at small forward anytime soon, meaning that all of his minutes would have to be out of the shooting guard position.

Just because the guy has a name that people remember doesn’t mean that he’ll be able to help this team.

The area where the Nets needed the most help this offseason was getting bigger and by picking up Jamaal Magloire and getting Nenad Krstic back healthy, they’ve successfully done that. Add in a supporting role for guys like Josh Boone, Jason Collins and Sean Williams and it’s easy to see that the Nets will be better on defense and much more aggressive in the paint.

Williams may be more trouble than he’s worth however, failing numerous drug tests in College with barely any offensive game to speak of. However, he’s more athletic than Collins, who is a waste of space at this point in his career. If given a chance, Williams could develop a solid post game in a few years.

Now, notice how I didn’t mention Houston in the last few paragraphs?

Carter, Jefferson and Kidd will provide the Nets with plenty of offense and a 36-year old Houston isn’t really needed.

Stay at ESPN and continue to provide commentary my friend. Your knees feel better lately because you’ve been playing NBA Live for the past three years. Once you start running around again, you’ll have shin splints faster than Antoine Walker and you’ll become an even bigger problem on defense.

It doesn’t matter that you had a great workout last Tuesday workout at the New York Athletic Club in Manhattan. A workout is a horse of another color compared to a real NBA game.

Your presence would be great for the fans, but how much  you could actually help the team in limited playing time remains to be scene in my mind.