Who Invited You?

The Nets sure are in a good mood

Maybe it's because they know sneaking into a party is easier when nobody's looking. Since October, we've anticipated a Pistons-Heat rematch, followed by Pistons-Spurs 2. But why couldn't another team bum-rush the whole show? Think about it: The season has been full of crashers. Kobe into the record books, the Clips into the playoffs (with homecourt advantage, no less). Then there are the Suns, who didn't crash and burn without Amare. So will their luck hold? And while we're asking questions, is there a key to crashing Miami's system? And how will LeBron do in his second-season crash course? Lastly, we pose this one: Why not New Jersey? Wedding Crashers taught us you need a good wingman. The Nets have two. And the squad leader isn't bad either.

They have nothing in the middle. The Spurs are too deep. The Pistons are too good. Shaq is too big. There are plenty of reasons to think the Nets don't have an ice cube's chance in June to win it all (and that was before that Game 1 loss to the Pacers). Well, maybe we're in for a cold patch, because the Nets have a pretty compelling counter for all you would-be bouncers out there. Seriously, do yourself a favor: Dress warmly.

THE NETS CAN'T WIN BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A BIG MAN.

At the beginning of the season the team did seem a bit challenged up front, but these days Nenad Krstic is more than enough of a post presence to keep defenses honest. Double Vince or overplay the perimeter, and Krstic will make you pay with jump hooks from either block. The Nets go to him early to kick-start his confidence, and they won't shy away from calling his number when they need a basket, even a big one.

Don't be fooled by Krstic's paltry 6.4 rpg. Over the past two months, he grabbed a team-best 8.2 per while notching eight of his 12 double-doubles. "With more experience, I've gotten more used to the rules," the seven-foot, second-year Serb says. "That's really helped my positioning and timing. Before, I was too concerned about getting called for defensive three seconds and being close enough to my man. Then, one day, it clicked."

And Krstic has more help than you think. Although frontcourt mate Jason Collins may not be many things-he averages less than four points and five boards a game-he is a stand-his-ground guy. Collins won't block shots, but his craftiness and intelligence-and, some say, acting abilitymake him a stealthily effective position defender.

FINE, BUT NEITHER IS AN ANSWER FOR SHAQ.

Shaq's numbers in the Heat's sweep of the Nets in the last postseason weren't impressive (18.3 ppg and 8.8 rpg), but his presence, as always, was. Doubling him, even with two bigs, was fruitless because he'd just pass it out, and collapsing the D left a vulnerable perimeter. How vulnerable? Damon Jones pretty much cinched his new fat contract after feasting on it. This season, though, Collins and Cliff Robinson asked to go where few men dare: one-on-one against The Daddy.

So much for Shaq's dominance of the Nets. It's not exactly as if Uncle Cliffy and Collins locked up Shaq (17.7 ppg, 10 rpg), but three times he faced them this season, and three times he and the Heat were humbled, losing by an average of nearly 11 points a game.

"Having played against him now for five years, I'm accustomed to that first hit you get, that second hit and maybe even the third," Collins says. "I know his moves in the post, what he likes to do. And I know how to get good position. So when he turns into me, I'm there."

Wait-Jason, are you saying you're in Shaq's head? "I don't know, I don't know," he says sheepishly, aware that he's treading dangerously close to bulletin-board fodder. "He's overpowering. When he's giving you that elbow, it's still like, What's up, big fella?' "

Because Collins will take his lumps, he and the Nets are as successful as anyone at taking Shaq out of his game. At the other end, the outside shooting of Krstic and Robinson effectively pulls the big guy out of the lane and makes him a defensive liability. And all that chasing also helps to turn The Diesel into a sedan at the offensive end.

VINCE CARTER DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH DAWG IN HIM.

Some people have forgotten VC nearly matched then-MVP Allen Iverson point for point in the 2001 playoffs, throwing in 35-plus three times (including 50) in the seven-game series. They've forgotten because that Vince went on hiatus shortly thereafter.

Know what? He's back.

Carter increased his scoring average in each of the final three months of the season, had a string of 23 consecutive 20-plus games and took almost every last-minute shot for the Nets. Most important, he shook off his "fragile" rep, playing 79 games. As an added bonus, he rang up the dunk of the year against Alonzo Mourning.

And, speaking of the Heat, Carter averaged 38.5 ppg against them. You know, the team he could easily be facing in the second round.

"I played with him in Toronto, and I saw the progression of how he lost his love for the game," says teammate Lamond Murray. "But now, playing with a guy like J-Kidd, his love is back. I'm glad I'm going to be a witness to what he's going to do in the playoffs."

One of the most selfless superstars in the game, Carter never had a Kobelike craving to be
The Man. He doesn't have to be. The Nets are Jason Kidd's team. "I'm like Robin," Carter says. "Whenever Batman is in trouble, I'm coming to save him, coming to free him up so he can do his thing."

This spring, Robin will have plenty of chance to do his thing as well.

IF THEY EVEN GET TO THE FINALS, TIM DUNCAN WILL HAVE HIS WAY WITH THEM.

After the first Nets-Spurs meeting this season, this seemed like an unassailable point. TD torched the Nets for 27 and 12, and it could have been worse. But in the rematch, he got just 12 and 7. Okay, the Spurs won that one, too. But the Nets used to roll over as soon as Duncan entered the building, and that is no longer the case. The Big Fundamental is a tad older and somewhat hampered by plantar fasciitis, and that takes the edge off. And it doesn't hurt that to make it to the Finals, Duncan will have to battle at least one other All-Star power forward (Elton Brand, Pau Gasol and/or Dirk Nowitzki) to get there. Life is about taking advantage, and with the bigger Krstic a much better matchup for Duncan than the 6'9" Kenyon Martin was three years ago, the Nets are built to do just that.

WHEN THE NETS AREN'T RUNNING, THEY AREN'T SCORING.

Maybe you haven't noticed, but the Nets' relay team left when K-Mart did. And no one really misses it. Since Carter has been in town, New Jersey's game is more pick-and-roll, pick-and-pop and isos. And Richard Jefferson can run, but he doesn't have to. He has quietly developed into one of the most efficient scorers in the game, getting 19.5 points on fewer than 13 shots a night.

"Because we have multiple options, we're a better half-court team," says team president Rod Thorn. "That bodes well for the playoffs."

JASON KIDD CAN'T HANDLE WADE OR BILLUPS.

Come again? It's time to get past the vision of last season's post-knee surgery gimp. Replace it with one of deft feeds, clutch treys-and a lockdown D that made the guy an MVP candidate not too long ago. "As you get older, it's like you're a racehorse," he says. "They tend to want to put you out to pasture a lot sooner than you want to go."

Although Kidd is still the team's floor general, one of the reasons he is looking so fresh is that he actually has a decreased role in the offense. Used to be, he was Mr. Do-It-All, leading the break, setting up the O, taking most of the big shots. Now, Vince and RJ (who average a combined 8.1 apg) give him the chance to dial it back every now and again. As a result, he'll have more than enough left to get in the grill of opposing guards, particularly the big ones.

During the Nets' 14-game winning streak, Kidd helped hold Kobe to 24 points on 9-for-24 shooting and Gilbert Arenas to 25 on 6-for-17. Then, on back-to-back nights, he put the cuffs on Chauncey (nine points, 2-for-10 shooting) and held Nash scoreless. "I think he's every bit as good defensively as he was before he hurt his knee," Thorn says.

Now take a look at the larger picture. The Nets D hasn't changed much from the days when it made them back-to-back Eastern Conference champs. This version doesn't have as many great individual stoppers, but as a team, they're mighty tough to penetrate. Even if Billups, Wade or Tony Parker does beat Kidd off the dribble, help awaits. And since they've started to guard the perimeter-they allowed the lowest three-point percentage after the All-Star break-Kidd and the Nets were downright stingy (90.5 ppg since the break, thirdbest in the league).

CHEMISTRY WINS. THE SPURS AND PISTONS HAVE IT. THE NETS DON'T.

Sunday, April 9. After an afternoon thrashing of the Bucks in Milwaukee, the team packed onto a bus and drove an hour and a half to Chicago for a Tuesday game with the Bulls. If it weren't for the ice dangling from the necks and wrists, you'd have thought this was a high school team on its way to the state championship.

No one wore headphones or talked into a cellie. Murray, taking over for VC, the resident DJ, bumped jams in the back while teammates played rowdy games of cards and the dozens. Krstic got ragged for the I-barely-understand-English act he sometimes goes into with reporters. Collins took another beating for his unkempt 'fro (Ben Wallace meets Buckwheat), and RJ was … RJ. (Don't ask.) When they arrived in the Windy City, all the players quickly dropped their bags at the hotel and headed to a lounge. They spent the rest of the evening hanging out together.

"I wish I had a camcorder to show how genuine everybody was," says Murray, who is on his fourth team in 11 seasons. "To see everybody having fun like that, truly enjoying each other's company, is rare in the NBA. And because everybody likes each other, there's no selfishness when we play."

LAWRENCE FRANK IS A LIGHTWEIGHT.

L-Frank didn't win over his players with tales of a prestigious playing career. He couldn't, because he never even made his high school team. And he can't fall back on a lifetime of experience, because he's only 35. Instead, he earns it every day, by working his tail off. He is always prepared, knowing every intricacy about his team and its opponent. The Nets watch 15 minutes of film before morning shootarounds on gameday, another 15 minutes in the locker room before the game.

Practices? You don't want to know. "We're almost overprepared," Jefferson says. "We're like, All right, L, we understand teams have 500 plays they're going to run over the course of the year. Do we need to go over all of them?' "

And that's the regular season. With several days in between games and only one team at a time to focus on, it is a safe bet the Nets will be able to recite their opponent's strengths, weaknesses and favorite rap lyrics.

THE NETS ARE STREAKY.

And that's a bad thing? By putting together winning streaks of 10 and 14 games, they were the only team this season with two double-digit victory marches. And neither streak was the result of favorable scheduling. The first run included takedowns of the Nuggets, Clippers, Heat and Cavs; the second featured the Mavs, Pistons and Suns. On the flip side, the Nets have lost at least three in a row five times. But-and this is a huge but-only one of those streaks came when the Big Three were healthy.

The Nets' ability to go on long tears is the by-product of their triple-option attack. If Vince has an off night, RJ picks up the slack. If RJ is struggling, Kidd can make up for it. Like the Pistons and Spurs, the Nets are a threeheaded monster, and three-headed monsters are geometrically tougher to stop night in and night out. The list of conquering threesomes is impressive: Bird, McHale, Parish. Magic, Kareem, Worthy. Jordan, Pippen, Rodman. Heck: Paula, Randy and Simon.

THE NETS AREN'T AS MOTIVATED AS SOME OF THE OTHER CONTENDERS.

The Pistons want to prove they can do it without Larry Brown. The Spurs are forever fueled by talk of those who remain unconvinced. The Heat want to win it all before Shaq packs it in. The Mavs are sick of being called soft.

Maybe the Nets are too cool to make a big public deal of it, but alone with their thoughts, they stew over their lack of national appeal. What have two Finals appearances in the previous four years and one of the most exciting high-flying shows

in the league gotten them? One appearance on ABC, four on ESPN and none on TNT. "Of course we feel it's an insult," Carter says. "Look at our record. Look at the teams we've beaten. But some things you can't control. The NBA decides who it's going to market. It's just the way it goes." The Nets can't make David Stern pay for the dis, but they can take it out on some of his pet faves. Each time they beat a marquee team-and they've beaten every one of them except the Spurs-Murray closes out the postgame huddle with a loud chant: "Redemption!" "That's what this year is all about," he says. "Redeeming careers and past losses. It's getting back at the people who say we're not a good team, that some of our guys aren't All-Stars anymore, that we're over the hill." The coaches are quick to remind players they don't get any respect. And we're quick to remind you of this: A team scorned is a dangerous thing.

IT CAN'T GET ANY WORSE FOR THEIR CROSS-RIVER RIVALS, THE KNICKS.

Oh, yes, it can.

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