I guess you haven't seen much of Nenad Kristic yet.

He averaged 18.3 PPG and 7.5 RPG against Shaq in the playoffs, coming of a regular season in which he started the last 57 games, averaging 11.7 and 6.2, while shooting 49% and notching nine double-doubles.

He needs to bulk up a bit and stay out of foul trouble (which will come as he earns more respect from the referees), but he's a 22 year-old seven-footer with a nice short range shooting touch and a good inside game which only figures to improve.

And how many top quality all-star centers are there in the league right now?

I think this season we'll see Kidd averaging fewer than 10.0 PPG. and playing fewer minutes than ever so he's fresh for the playoffs. He's definitely lost a step, but depending on how quickly Shaq continues to fall apart physically, I can certainly see the Nets making it to the NBA finals again.

The Reef is a good pickup. The only thing I see is that the Nets could be a little soft. Other than Jason Kidd, they got VC as a soft 2, RJ as a soft 3, Reef as a soft 4 and Krystic at center who needs to pack on a few pounds, but did play well against Shaq.

As for overall skills, Shareef was one of the better players in this weak free agent market.

You're right Plaw, I've never seen nor heard of Nenad Kristic. I didn't see much of the Nets this year and didn't really follow them too much. I thought they were done for with Jefferson going down, but I was glad to see Carter go to them

I figured out how the nets can still add some toughness this offseason. Sign Carlton Dotson to a 10-day contract! I'm sure Mr. Thorn could get him to sign for a case of smokes at most. It's like killing two birds with one stone (pun intended). He'll automatically be the toughest guy in the league. Artest will look like Toni Kukoc compared to Dotson. Plus, if the Grim Reefer brings his career winning percentage that wouldn't bring home a batting title in the deadball era along with him to the Turnpike, Dotson can merely push a button on him, Willie Cicci style. The Nets wouldn't have to pay the remaining salary on SAR's contract, his bad karma would be gone forever, the surviving players would probably rally around their fallen teammate, and Carlton can go back to prison and use his newly acquired cancersticks to buy some entertainment. Everyone's a winner. Except for Rahim of course, but after nine years he's probably used to being the loser.

Go ahead, JB. Keeping knocking SAR. But when the Nets are back in the finals ('casue w/o Larry Brown the Pistons are going nowhere, and Shaq is about ready to fall apart), it is I who will have the last laugh. :p

I think the Pistons are still the team to beat in the East. They still have the talent sans the coach. And rumor is they're getting Flip Saunders. From my memory he ain't too bad of a coach himself. But look out for my Knicks now with Larry Brown! Just kidding. But Detroit should be the team to beat still IMO. I wanna see how long Shaq holds up because unfortunately Miami will still be good (man how I hate them), and I'm interested to see how Cleveland and Chicago do this year

Well, Detroit won the East the last two years, so yeah, they're the team to beat. And the Nets are the team that will beat them.

How's the Nets bench? I mean, Detroit is still a very tough team with or without Larry Brown. I mean the starting lineups would be Billups, Hamilton, Prince, Wallace and Wallace against Kidd, Jefferson, Carter, Rahim, and Kristic

All kidding aside, the Nets do have a chance to win the East this year. I just don't see the defense there to actually allow it to materialize. Shaq is getting older and beaten down from all his years banging in the paint, but I still don't see how the Nets plan on stopping him and DWade in a 7 game series. Shaq can have two broken legs and he's still guranteed 30 & 15 against anybody the Nets trot out to guard him. Plus, the chances of Kidd getting hurt after all his years of carrying teams are just as good as the chances Shaq goes down. Shaq has actually played more games than Kidd the last 2 years. If they lose Kidd, it's over. Vinsanity isn't exactly Cal Ripken or Brett Favre either. If they face the Pistons, the Nets offense won't be as good as Detroit's defense, neutralizing the strength of New Jersey's team. Detroit's offense(as horrible as it can be sometimes) will still be better than NJ's defense. The Nets will have a good team, but absolute best case scenario is they'll have a season like the Suns this year, and that's being generous considering the Suns had one of the best big men in the league in Stoudamire, as well as one of the best defenders in the league in Joe Johnson. New Jersey has neither and I don't think their offense will be as good as Phoenix's. The one constant throughout NBA history is that you need an above average big man to win the title. That is unless you have His Airness in the backcourt. :p Go Bulls!

I hope that no one is forgetting about my 76ers. Iverson & Webber will play great together this year, Andre Iguodala is a stud, and Mo Cheeks is the right coach for this team.

Yeah but they both have great point guards with Phoenix having Nash and New Jersey having Kidd

Yeah Chris Webber had a GREAT time playing in Phily last year. Did they even win a game in the playoffs or what? I don't predict Phily to go anywhere fast

Hence why I said they can be as good as Phoenix last year, but I doubt it will happen because they don't have any of the players at other positions that Phoenix had, and Phoenix had Nash for the whole season. Based on the past two years, New Jersey can only count on Kidd for around 65 games.

AI and C-Webb spent last season adjusting to each other. They need a training camp together and they'll be just fine. And Jim O'Brien had no idea what he was doing. Mo Cheeks is a huge improvement. And we did actually win 1 game against the Pistons.

Freddie, as a Michigan fan, I sure hope CWebb has a good year, but he has enough trouble keeping track of timeouts.

FC - Is Dalembert staying in Philly? Philly will be good if he stays.

The team to beat in the East is Miami. Had it not been for a D-Wade injury in the playoffs, Miami would have won that series.

The NBA rippers are going to have it tough next year. The East as a conference has continually improved and gotten back to the point where the conference champ has a legitimate shot at the title. Having all the contenders out west basically cut the whole league in half, like the NFL was with the Cowboys and 49ers in the 80s and 90s. No matter how good some team in the AFC or the Eastern Conference were playing, you knew they had no shot at the title. The East is deep this year and unless the Rockets can take the next step everyone has been predicting for them the last two years, the Sonics prove they can do it again with a new coach, or Phil and Dwayne Casey can revive the Lakers and Timberpups, respectively, I think they will be the markedly better conference.

The SAR to the Nets deal is finally official.

A Lottery-protected #1 pick in 2006, which doesn't figure to be worth much.

No way the Nets didn't improve big-time.

Really looking forward to seeing Kidd, Jefferson, Carter and now SAR play together. Should be fun and interesting as well as the baby Bulls

I'm wondering if the Nets aren't real close to Miami as the team to beat in the East now.

Their starting five is pretty strong

Abdul Rahim, PF
Jefferson, SF
Krictic, C
Kidd, PG
Carter, SG

And so is their bench (Pick 7; I asterisked the ones I'd like to see them keep, but I'm not sure of the contract status of all of these guys)

Antoine Wright* (SG, #1 draft pick)
Mile Ilic* (C, #2 pick, Nets refused to include him in the Rahim deal)
Cliff Robinson*, PF
Jacques Vaughn*, PG & SG
Jason Collins*, C & PF
Jabari Smith*, C & PF
Rodney Buford*, SF & SG
Zoran Planinic, SG & PG
Ron Mercer, SF & SG (I think his contract is guaranteed, though)
Travis Best, PG
Billy Thomas, SF & SG

And if they sign Kenon Dooling, I guess Buford or Vaughn goes. I'd also like to see them get a little stronger at PF or C, and get rid of Smith. They really don't have the luxury of keeping Ilic, but apparently they really like the guy. Hopefully they'll ship him off for a year in Europe (if they can) like they did with Kristic, and open up a roster spot for another big man.

i really like the stromile swift-houston signing. he's a van gundy type player and will help yao out a ton. They also drafted luther head. Dont sleep on the rockets possibly coming out of the west this year.

The Pacers got the best addition so far this offseason: Ron Artest. 60+ wins and an NBA title for Indy.

Right now my top 5 in each conference:

WEST
1.Suns- Kurt Thomas for Q trade was a good 1
2. Spurs- God I Hate this team
3. Rockets
4. T-Wolves- they ll be back
5. Nuggets-

EAST
1. Pacers
2. Heat
3. Pistons
4. Bulls
5. Nets/76ers

Its great to see the East back

Why does everyone think Indiana will win? They just lost Reggie Miller (you don't win many titles the year after loosing your fanchise player). As for Detroit, they've still got Billups, Hamilton, Wallace, Wallace, McDyess, etc

How you can figure the Nets behind the Bulls and rated the same as the 76ers......

You can make a case for your top three, I guess, but the Bulls and Sixers?

In my opion

West
1) San Antonio
2) Phoenix
3) Houston
4) Denver
5) Dallas

East
1) Detroit
2) Miami
3) Indiana
4) New Jersey
5) Chicago/Cleveland

This might make plaw happy. Apparently the Nets have picked up Jeff McInnis. McInnis averaged 12.8 points and 5.1 assists in 76 games last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Forward had elbow surgery in January

"EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New Jersey Nets' trade with the Portland Trail Blazers for forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim has been put on hold after questions arose during his physical examination, the Nets said Thursday.

The Nets did not disclose the nature or cause of the questions.

The 29-year-old Abdur-Rahim missed 22 games with the Blazers last season after undergoing surgery in mid-January to address loose particles in his right elbow.

New Jersey agreed to a six-year deal last month with the veteran forward, who has averaged 19.8 points and 8.1 rebounds during his nine-year career with Vancouver, Atlanta and Portland.

Nets president Rod Thorn was scheduled to address the issue Thursday afternoon at the Nets' practice facility. The team has until Aug. 12 to complete the trade."

Looks like the Nets decided against getting SAR. Plaw, what happened with that!? I haven't been keeping up with it really