A consistent scoring threat, Carter could always be counted on. Anderson was still rough around the edges, but had the capability to be a damn good bench player or someone who could hit a big three and contribute on the boards.

Rafer Alston is going to be a small part of next year’s team, unless Keyon Dooling gets hurt. Courtney Lee is a step up from Bobby Simmons, but it may take him some time to get used to New Jersey. Tony Battie makes the most of his time on the floor and will be a sleeper success in New Jersey. However, when it’s all said and done, the Nets will be lacking the star power and sheer dynamism to win more than 35 games next season.

That is unless Terrance Williams can be the swingman the team is hoping he can be and Devin Harris and Brook Lopez continue to develop. If that happens, then maybe the Nets sneak by a few teams early in the season and unlike this past year, can stay consistent and sneak into the playoffs in an always weak Eastern Conference.

For my taste however, they are still a few pieces away from being a .500 team.

The Nets say they are trying to get smaller and more athletic, but it looks pretty obvious that they’re looking for as many ways to shed salary as possible.

“With Williams and Lee and Devin we have three guys who can handle the ball and are very, very quick. I’m sure we’ll play them together a lot,” Nets President Rod Thorn told the Associated Press. “We think we’ve got a real nice cadre of young players that have a lot of talent. Not only are they young but they have talent. We have some great athletes now and we think that’s the way the league’s going. I don’t think we’re a finished product. I think you’ll see us do other things between now and the start of the season.”

Notice how Thorn repeated himself in that quote? It’s almost as if he’s trying to assure himself as well.

If you’re trying to build a young and talented team, why trade Ryan Anderson and leave Yi Jianlian to middle his way through another NBA season? The guy has as much passion as a pet rock and is about the same in terms of agility.

Saving money is one thing, but getting rid of your leading scorer and forcing this team to rise above it again may be asking too much. The fact that the team hung in the playoff picture as long as they did last season was a miracle, especially since they had no real small forward or power forward most of the season and rookie center, who thankfully was able to grow and develop.

Asking it to happen again is an absolute impossibility.

Forcing more youngsters to come in and play big minutes right away for a second consecutive season, the Nets are rebuilding.

Make no mistakes about it.

The only team that doesn’t know it or is unwilling to admit it is them.

So while there is a possibility they make another move or so, don’t expect one; the real work will come in 2010-11, forcing fans to wait through another disappointing season.

Why the Nets would give up their leading scorer in Vince Carter, a proven NBA commodity who had serious chemistry with Devin Harris and a talented youngster in Ryan Anderson for what they got seems a bit obscene at first.

Sure, Rafer Alston is a talented point guard that showed flashes of brilliance during the playoffs, but the Nets already have a point guard, a good one at that and a more than competent backup in Keyon Dooling that proved during the season that he can be more than an understudy if he has to be. So where does Alston fit? Is Harris going to move to shooting guard to accommodate the loss of Carter? What’s going on here?

The same thing goes for the signing of Tony Battie, who despite being an excellent rebounder off the bench and a trusty veteran, comes in with players like Sean Williams, Josh Boone and cough, Yi Jianlian capable of manning the position and in need of minutes. With that being said, where will he fit in with the Nets?

Courtney Lee however is an interesting player. I think he can definitely be a solid small forward if given about 30 minutes a night and with some more pressure on him. He’s also an excellent three-point shooter that is far more explosive than Bobby Simmons, with much more upside. If he can score a dozen points a game and provide some energy, this trade may not be so bad.

With the drafting of Terrance Williams from Louisville as well, the Nets also continue to get younger and more energetic in addition to having cleared a ton of cap room by trading away high-priced veterans like Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter over the past two years.

It’s the end of an era.

But it could be the beginning of something great as well.

From Yahoo Sports:

New Jersey Nets – Earl Clark, PF, Louisville: The Nets could use help at either forward position, particularly if they trade Yi Jianlian. The 6-9 Clark, a kind of combo forward with length and impressive physical ability, fills the bill. Quick for a big man, he can create some and is good scoring around the basket. He’ll need to develop and become a more consistent producer than he was for the Cardinals.

My Thoughts: I’m usually not in the habit of agreeing with Yahoo Sports, especially after where they predicted the team would finish this past season, but on this, they couldn’t be any more on the button. Clark is everything Jianlian isn’t- he has heart. Also, the fact that Clark can play either forward position allows them to hold on to Yi if they feel he deserves one more year to develop and can also play a part in getting him motivated. If he doesn’t respond, it’s likely he’d be trade bait. With Ryan Anderson continuing to develop as well, the Nets could get much bigger and skilled with Clark and Anderson at the forward position.

Here’s a scouting report from CollegeHoops.net:

Scouting Report: A versatile inside/outside threat.
 
Strengths: Great size for a small forward. Has the ability to play in the post or out on the wing. Very athletic. Great leaping ability. Long wingpsan. Great at slashing to the hoop. Can drive by defenders with either hand. Capable of posting up and scoring with his back to the basket. Good defender. Great rebounder. Great shot blocker for a forward. Has three-point range on jumper.
 
Weaknesses: Still inconsistent. Needs to become more consistent and a bigger threat from three-point range. Turns the ball over too much. Never was a huge scorer in college.
 
Projected 2009 Draft Range: Top ten pick.
 
Consensus: Earl Clark has all the makings of a solid, perhaps sometimes spectacular, NBA player. His size, athleticism and skill package make him a special prospect.

My Thoughts: Despite the fact that he wasn’t a huge scorer during his college days, playing with Vince Carter, Brook Lopez and Devin Harris will help change that. Simply put, the Nets need a solid rebounder with some spunk and Clark fits that bill to a T. Because of that, if the Nets pick him, he’ll get an opportunity to be a bigger part of the offense.

However, the Nets managed to bite off more than a hearty helping of mediocrity and stay out of the cellar despite injuries and inconsistency.

Nevertheless, the team isn’t happy with the way the season ended.

“You should never allow anyone’s outside expectations to affect your internal expectations. Our goal was to get to the playoffs and we didn’t make it so we’re disappointed,” Nets coach Lawrence Frank, who will return as the Nets’ head coach next season, told the Associated Press. “But I think our guys have played with integrity, honor and respect for the game.”

There is more than enough light at the end of the tunnel however.

Over the last 15 or so games, Chris Douglas Roberts proved that he could be much more than a player that could round out the bottom of a depth chart. With Keyon Dooling expected back healthy after hip surgery a few days ago, the Nets should have plenty of depth at the guard position and shouldn’t have nearly as many problems as they did this season when Devin Harris or Vince Carter were hurt or cold. That alone should play a role in the team’s success next season.

However, the development of Brook Lopez and hopefully the attitude adjustment of Sean Williams would sure up the Nets where they need it most, on the boards. If Lopez continues to be a guy that can score anywhere from 12-16 points and can grab a few more boards, the Nets will be in a much better shape and will officially have a new “Big Three.” Williams, in turn, can earn a reputation as an energy guy who can play power forward and center, giving the Nets added versatility, especially considering how inconsistent Ryan Anderson and Yi Jianlian can be at times.

The small forward position still seems like a conundrum at this point and maybe that’s something the Nets can solve in the draft. Nothing against my favorite lunch-pailer Trenton Hassell or the undependable Bobby Simmons, but if the Nets are ever to get back in the playoffs, addressing the situation at small forward is a great place to start.

Photo by Bill Menzel.

Missing the playoffs and winning just 34-games for the second consecutive season, the Nets brass still have faith in Frank’s ability as a coach.

“If you get rid of a good coach, you have to get a good coach,” Thorn told the Associated Press. “In my mind he is a good coach, he has done a good job here. I think this past year most people didn’t think we would do well and we did better than expected. Our younger players got better for the most part and my feeling is we are on the right road.”

While Thorn has a point that Frank exceeded expectations with a team that many predicted to be around the 25-win mark, the team played horribly during the second half, winning only four games in March and failing to capitalize on the momentum they had during the first 35 or so games of the season.

Nonetheless, the Nets have a plethora of youngsters on the team that will get better in time and if Frank can find a way to get them the playing time they need, while not being forced to play veterans that can’t get the job done, this team may be in much better shape than the rest of the league thinks.

Knowing this, Frank must find a way to stay firm and put his best lineup on the court every night. Perhaps he’s learned his lesson from keeping Jason Collins in the Nets rotation for so long over the years, especially when the team had other players that could pick up the slack in his place. However, even if the Yi Jianlian situation that started at the end of this season begins again with another player, Frank owes it to the organization to let his youngsters develop and earn their bumps and bruises.

Nothing against Collins, but he never had the potential of guys like Chris Douglas-Roberts, Ryan Anderson, Brook Lopez and Devin Harris. Those guys need every opportunity to prove they belong and can thrive in this league. Playing guys like Eduardo Najera and Bobby Simmons in crucial game situations won;t help the Nets next season and won’t help them in the future as well.

As well, the Nets have to address their needs via free agency and the draft this summer, or else, regardless of what Frank does, this team will revel in mediocrity once again.

That’s something Frank can’t be responsible for, but will have to make the most of.

Nonetheless I understand where most of these places were coming from at the time. Small payroll, unproven young talent, what did you expect, a championship?

Highly unlikely, even to the most ardent Nets fan.

With four games left this season however, while the Nets have 32 wins and are two games out of tenth place, they have exceeded the expectations of many.

Who would have thought? Me, that’s who.

Am I good or what? Well, let’s be fair here. I’m alright.

I don’t think anyone could have expected Devin Harris to play as well as he has this season and at the same time, many of the youngsters have shown that they have the potential to be useful players in the future.

Because of that, the New Jersey Nets should be proud with what they accomplished this season and should feel good about the direction they are going in.

“We have some nice pieces in place to win. But obviously we have a ways to go,” veteran Keyon Dooling told the Associated Press. “You can tweak a roster here and there, or you can get one player, and that can take you. Look at Boston. You bring KG in and bring Ray Allen in, and they’re the best team in the league. We’ll see. Maybe we’ll get something good in the draft, or a free agent pickup that will get us over the hump.”

However, unlike the Celtics, I think the Nets have some of the pieces on their roster already. Over the past three weeks, Chris Douglas-Roberts has shown that he can thrive with more responsibility and I still have faith that Ryan Anderson can be productive as well. However, more than anyone, I think Brook Lopez has the makings of an excellent center that will eventually be someone who will not only score 15 points a game, but someone who can average a double-double every night.

“He’s exceeded what we expected,” Nets coach Lawrence Frank told the AP. “Even going in, to seeing him from summer league to seeing him from training camp, he’s exceeded expectations.”

So while missing out on the playoffs for a second season in a row may be a tough pill to swallow for most fans of this team, the future is still a bright one.

Photo by Bill Menzel.

Bobby Simmons showed some flair against the Bulls last week, scoring 18 points, but aside from that, he’s been pretty inconsistent this season. The same goes for Ryan Anderson, who seemed to be picking up the slack for an injured Yi Jianlian last month, to only be benched a few games last week. The only consistent and dependable player this team has coming off the bench this season seems to be Keyon Dooling, who I feel is having one of, if the not the best, season of his NBA career. The same thing goes for Jarvis Hayes, whose play has seemingly gotten better after he injured his hand a few games ago.

Ironic, don’t ya think?

For what it’s worth too, I think Trenton Hassell, despite playing in 39 games, has been solid. It seems that every game I watch this team play that he gets an opportunity in, he does something. Against Boston, he hit all of his shots and didn’t really hurt the team on defense. Now I’m sure you’ll say he’s been starting lately, but he’s playing under 20 minutes which to me puts him in the realm of a bench player. Nevertheless, his hustle and drive is something I’d like to see from more of the players occupying the Nets bench.

Despite the problems from the rest of the bench though, someone always seems to come up big when th team needs them.

“We’ve gotten great contributions from the bench,” Frank explained to the Associated Press a few days ago. “Basically what we told our guys, it’s all hands on deck. You know who’s definitely going to play and based on matchups and the play of the game there are a couple guys who can be in or they can be out. And they’ve got to be ready. It may be your night, it may not be, but you’ve got to be ready.”

Two players that have gotten more playing time as of late are Sean Williams and Chris Douglas-Roberts, who have taken some of the pressure off of guys late Dooling. While they haven’t produced as much offensively as Frank would like, they have given the Nets a different look. At the same time, they may get some of the under-producers to finally get their act together.

At any rate, like I said before, if this team is going to make the playoffs, someone on that bench is going to have to get hot and fast. If not, it’ll be another season watching someone else.

Photo by Bill Menzel.

On the outside of the playoff picture looking in, the Nets understand they are running out of time and have to step up their game. Otherwise the only way they’ll make the playoffs is on NBA Live 2009.

“It’s money time,” Carter told the Associated Press this week. “This is when teams make the playoff push, or are fighting for position or homecourt advantage or whatever the case may be. This is my time to step up.”

Averaging over 20 points all season, both Carter and Devin Harris have held down the New Jersey fort all season.

Harris especially has been on his game, scoring 42 points against the Bulls on Wednesday.

“Now is the time,” Harris told the AP after the game. “We really can’t wait anymore. We can’t be patient. I’d rather be aggressive than passive. Being more aggressive on offense is what I’m trying to do right now.”

However in spite of both Carter and Harris, the Nets are in need of another player, anyone at this point, that can be dependable and produce on offense.

While Brook Lopez has the makings of that player one day, the Nets need more from someone else. 12 points and eight rebounds is damn solid from a rookie center and the Nets need something more from the power forward spot, especially if they are going to make the playoffs this season.

With Ryan Anderson and Yi Jianlian battling inconsistency all season, could Sean Williams be the player the Nets need right now?

Six points and four rebounds in 17 minutes may not be much, but Williams did provide a spark the other night, something Jianlian hasn’t been able to do much of the season aside from a handful of games before his injury.

“You’re looking for energy. And that’s one of Sean’s traits. If he’s consistent with it, then his minutes will be consistent,” coach Lawrence Frank told the Associated Press, stressing Williams, in order to play, must show “high energy level, running the floor, crashing both boards, defensively being a presence around the rim, performing your role with maximum enthusiasm, focus, concentration.”

Anyway the cookie crumbles, things will be interesting the rest of the season in New Jersey.

Photo by Bill Menzel.

Scoring 12 or more points in six of his past 16 games, Anderson is beginning to understand what it takes to become a success in the NBA. However, the main reason why he’s gotten an opportunity to play as much as he has been lately has had more to do with Yi Jianlian’s injury than anything he’s done specifically on the court. Despite the fact that he’s played well in Yi’s absence, no one knows what the future holds for either of them.

“He (coach Lawrence Frank) really hasn’t talked about long term. He definitely will work Yi back in (until then) we might play together, me at the five and Yi at the four just to get him back in,” Anderson told the Associated Press a few days ago. “The whole season I was playing behind Yi. It’s funny how it works. If anything this stretch gave me more confidence knowing I can play big minutes.”

Shooting five for 13 in 35 minutes in his first two games since returning, it’s safe to say that Yi isn’t exactly ready to retain his starting spot. That should give Anderson a few more games to show the Nets brass that he’s the better player. Despite the fact that on paper Yi appears to be the better scorer and rebounder, I think Anderson is the grittier player and a much more explosive scorer. Earlier in the season, it was obvious that Anderson was the better three point shooter, but inconsistency has gotten the better of him since then. If Anderson can find a way to get hot from beyond the arc again, he may cement his spot in the starting five.

So far, since Yi’s return, Anderson only has 13 points and has only taken eight shots in over 45 minutes of action. If he wants to be a starter in this league, that will have to change. Otherwise, the Nets will have to settle for a pair of underachievers at power forward, rather than one.

Photo by Bill Menzel