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Lee won't play for Nets tonight

March 05, 2010 , ι By FRED KERBER

Courtney Lee is an official scratch tonight for the Nets.Lee will sit a third straight game with a sprained left ankle and miss his old team, the Magic. He's a game-time decision for tomorrow night... Read on

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New Nets owner to take over next month

March 05, 2010 , ι By FRED KERBER

Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov is expected to take formal control of the Nets next month, an NBA official said Friday.Prokhorov, who purchased the team in September, awaits approval by the NBA... Read on

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Nets' Lee says 'Yes,' Kiki says 'Doubtful'

March 04, 2010 , ι By FRED KERBER

Long after most Nets had left from practice, Courtney Lee and Chris Quinn still were engaged in shooting games and drills, taking passes from assistant John Loyer. Shot after shot after shot went up. Finally, they disbanded. Lee, who has missed two games with a sprained left ankle, looked pretty good. He said he felt pretty good, likely good enough to play tomorrow.

"It felt good today. I got a lot of shots up and did a lot of running and movement. I’m going to see how it feels in the morning," said Lee. "I’m saying it’s a very good chance. If something changes and I don’t play tomorrow, then I’ll definitely play Saturday."

Interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe, who kept Lee out of practice, said it was doubtful his two guard would play against his old Orlando team.

"We're not going to rush him at this point," Vandeweghe said. "We held him out of practice because the ankle is not ready to go. He tried it before. He went through shooting. But you just can't push it. If it was a playoff situation it'd probably be different. He'd probably go. But in this situation, no."

In case you missed the memo, this season hasn't been too much about the playoffs for the Nets.

So Lee thinks yes and Vandeweghe sides with no and the final determination won't come until tonight. Either way, it's just another frustrating time for Lee who seems to take a giant step forward and then lands in some sort of medical bear trap. That's been the pattern all season.

Six games into the season, he strained a groin in Philadelphia. He missed seven games and took a while getting fully back. In late January, he found out that wisdom teeth he thought have been yanked needed to be pulled. Then one month later, he had maybe his best back-to-back games, including a career high-tying 28 against Portland. So he had 21 at Boston in the next game. And sprained his ankle.

"That definitely (stinks)," Lee said. "Once you start getting back to your normal self and playing well, something always pops up. I just look at it as adversity, and I can overcome it. Just continue to work on my game and just work myself back into shape and being healthy and go from there."
	 
* * *
	 
If Lee doesn't play against Vince and the Magic, Vandeweghe said he'll stay with his starting lineup that has Chris Douglas-Roberts at two and Trenton Hassell at three. Vandeweghe insists that Jarvis Hayes, who had been starting before straining a calf, is still getting back. Hayes says he is fine. Likely, Vandeweghe favors Hayes off the bench as a source of offense with CD-R starting. But Vandewe3ghe went out of his way to praise CD-R's energizing play of late.

"Jarvis is still getting himself back. I liked the way CD-R played last night. To me, it's much more - and this is for everybody - it's much more about effort," Vandeweghe said. "You give good effort and it doesn't matter who starts. To me it's much more about, if we're in a close game, who finishes the game. And we've been in fairly close games. So to me, who's giving the effort and who's playing well at the end is way more important."
	 
* * *
	 
Another guy who has been a good source of energy has been Terrence Williams, who called his season to "rocky" which is understatement along the lines of the Nets don't have a swell record.

"What I'd like to have happen is him solidifying a role. I think that's important for a young player's development," Vandeweghe said.

Williams, who admits he has changed his game, just wants to play. He has been superb his last two games, darn near beating Washington by his lonesome in the fourth quarter and then scoring a career high 21 against the Cavs. Williams, who admits to adjusting his game to be more of a driver, says it is all about confidence.

"If you know you’re going to play, then it’s easier to play with confidence," he said. "You have more confidence in your shot. You have more confidence in taking a chance, going to the hole, and stuff like that."
	 
* * *
	 
Ex-Net Sean Williams last week tied the Chinese Basketball Association record of 13 blocks in one game – the record previously was set by some guy named Yao Ming. In nine games with Fujian, Williams has 42 blocks, averaging 4.7 per.
	 
* * *
	 
See the Nets. Watch a loss. Get your state taxes done.

Tomorrow is the game where the Nets will team with the Roni Deutsch Tax Center to help fans with their taxes. New Jersey residents 18 and older who attend the game will receive a coupon to have their state taxes done at a Roni Deutsch office. Additionally, fans who go to any other Nets home game until the end of the season will receive a $50 coupon to use toward any tax return, including federal.

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Nets face LeBron tonight

March 03, 2010 , ι By FRED KERBER

With Courtney Lee shooting – in each sense of the word -- for Friday against his former Orlando team, the Nets prepared today for the final meeting of the season with LeBron James. And no one wanted... Read on

With Courtney Lee shooting – in each sense of the word -- for Friday against his former Orlando team, the Nets prepared today for the final meeting of the season with LeBron James.

And no one wanted to even speculate about James' future because right now, that is all anything is, speculation. Until No. 23 but probably soon to be No. 6 announces his plans, everything is guesswork.

"Who wouldn't want to play with this guy? He's a great player. But right now he's on the other side of the court so we look to challenge him and the summer will take care of itself," said Devin Harris.

"It's just speculation right now and there's only one person who knows what he's gonna do and that's LeBron," Harris continued. "I don't think players worry about it until (the summer)."

So there was all the usual LeBron is one step below immortal talk. He does this, that and everything in between. Harris is impressed with his passing. Kiki Vandeweghe admires his shooting and the work that went in to James becoming a great shooter. Brook Lopez marvels at the all around game.

"Oh, by the way, he's good," Vandeweghe understated.
	 
* * *
	 
The Elias Sports Bureau keeps track of when teams clinch, not when they're eliminated, but the Nets' elimination Tuesday, Mar. 2, has to be one of the earliest ever. The Nets, at 6-53 with 29 victories as the maximum ceiling, were officially eliminated Tuesday when Miami became the eighth team in the East to reach 30 wins.

"Now we're playing for pride," shrugged Trenton Hassell – who starts off guarding LeBron night as he starts for a third straight game.

"We kind of knew it was coming," deadpanned Jarvis Hayes, who will again come off the bench (but seemed a little baffled why because he says his strained calf is fine).

"It's crushing," Brook Lopez said, oozing sarcasm before being serious, "but we'll continue to play hard this season."
	 
* * *
	 
Courtney Lee was moving better on the sprained left ankle that he suffered in Boston and then he sat with against Washington Sunday. He hasn't practiced full tilt yet. Still, he wants to play Friday. And he says if he makes it back for the Magic, he should go Saturday against the Knicks.

"Once I come back I should be back for good and be healthy. That’s why I’m sitting out these next couple of days so I can get back to 100 percent. So when I come back I’ll be fine," said Lee, who admitted the injury was "frustrating," as he had put together games of 28 and 21 points when he landed on Brian Scalabrine Saturday.
	 
* * *
	 
There was a lot of talk about making sure Brook Lopez stays involved offensively, especially with Shaquille O'Neal sidelined by thumb surgery. Vandeweghe stressed the importance of feeding Lopez and attacking the rim to play inside out. Lopez just said, "We've talked about giving whoever's hot the ball" and noted he's not the only one who has been victimized by going away from what's worked this year. "It's happened to CD-R and Courtney at times before. So it's been all the way around."
	 
* * *
	 
Same starting lineup with Chris Douglas-Roberts at two and Trenton Hassell at three.
	 
* * *
	 
Reps from Nets, Devils and NBA plus Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Regional Business Partnership President Chip Hallock are set to attend a press conference Friday at the Prudential Center in Newark to discuss the Nets' move there for at least two years. Scheduled are Booker, NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver, Nets CEO Brett Yormark, Devils Chairman and Managing Partner Jeff Vanderbeek. Nets will also unveil their new marketing plan.

"It's All New" won out over "We Stink But Could Get the No. 1 Pick."

The Nets also plan their ground breaking next week on Thursday for their Brooklyn Arena which originally was announced, it seems, during the Eisenhower Administration but has been sort of, you know, delayed. The Yankees, Mets, Devils and Giants (and thus essentially the Jets) all found and built new homes since the Nets announced they were going to build their new digs.

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Celtics anticipated Nets buyouts

March 02, 2010 , ι By FRED KERBER

The Celtics were watching the Nets very carefully on Monday. According to multiple sources, the Celtics anticipated that the Nets would waive both Bobby Simmons and Tony Battie following buyouts. And... Read on

The Celtics were watching the Nets very carefully on Monday.
	 
According to multiple sources, the Celtics anticipated that the Nets would waive both Bobby Simmons and Tony Battie following buyouts. And Boston had interest in both.
	 
But obviously, the buyouts and subsequent waiver moves never came. There were numerous reports circulating about each player and the likelihood they would be set free by the Nets on Monday before midnight in order to play for another team in the playoffs. Anyone waived after midnight would not be eligible for the playoffs.
	 
All along, Nets team president Rod Thorn insisted he saw nothing on the buyout horizon. During All-Star Weekend, he said it was unlikely. Saturday in Boston, he said he didn't anticipate anything, a claim he repeated Monday when he stated he had not heard from the respective players' agents.
	 
Additionally, Simmons said two weeks ago in Charlotte, he did not want a buyout – although the feeling around the Nets was he would have softened on that stance.
	 
Battie gave Boston media on Saturday the indication he wanted to re-join the Celtics. But then he admitted the next day how difficult it would be to walk away from whatever remained of his $6.6 million salary.
	 
"Either way, I'll be happy," Battie said on Sunday. "I always pride myself on being professional. I know it’s a business but whatever happens, happens. I'm with the New Jersey Nets and I owe them my best. Of course, if they decide to let me go it will be for financial favors and it’s a little weird when you look at that situation, leaving money on the table to go out and find a job. It makes you think about it but it is what it is."
	 
* * *
	 
Courtney Lee is out tomorrow night against LeBron James and the Cavs because of his sprained left ankle. The Nets, through 59 games, have lost 173 manpower games to injury and illness.
	 
And they also have used 17 different starting lineups.
	 
* * *
	 
Gotta admit, the playoffs are looking dim. If Miami beats the Warriors tonight, the Nets officially will be eliminated. At least they made it to March, although realistically they were eliminated by Thanksgiving.

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CDR back in Nets' rotation -- maybe

February 23, 2010 , ι By BRIAN LEWIS

With Jarvis Hayes sidelined tonight with a calf injury and Trenton Hassell thrust into the lineup, Chris Douglas-Roberts should be back in the rotation. I said should because when dealing with Douglas-Roberts and his inconsistent minutes _ up-and-down like a yo-yo _ caveats and disclaimers are the norm.
	 
Douglas-Roberts was a DNP the other night against Memphis, for what GM/interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe described only as an "internal matter,'' and we don’t mean vital organs. It was a disciplinary issue, but try to get a straight answer and you'll hit X-Files levels of intrigue.
	 
One team executive said there was an "unexcused absence," while another said Douglas-Roberts was late to practice Saturday. The player has both insisted he has no idea why he was benched, but tried to stay above the fray.
	 
"(It was) an internal matter. But he’s in the rotation. As I said, last game was just an internal matter: We’ll leave it at that,'' said Vandeweghe, who insisted the matter was settled and shouldn’t threaten Douglas-Roberts' minutes going forward. "Oh, no, no, it’s over now. It’s a one-game thing. It’s over.''

New Jersey Nets' Chris Douglas-Roberts, right, and Rafer Alston react during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009 in East Rutherford, N.J. The Nets are 0-11 as the Pacers won 91-83. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Asked what Douglas-Roberts had to do to get out of his doghouse, Vandeweghe responded "Well if you noticed, he was playing the games before and it’s going to be – during the game, obviously, you’ve got to play well, contribute just to stay in. But as I said, last game was a different story.''
	 
Hmmm. I've noticed he was playing, but only in the most literal way. I'm not saying it's semantics, but since losing his starting job after the Jan. 31 loss to Philadelphia, Douglas-Roberts has averaged only 10:54 in eight games, with two DNPs. And after not playing at all in Cleveland, he followed that by logging just 3:35 in garbage time of a blowout loss Feb. 10 vs. Milwaukee.
	 
"Really, after I got taken out of the starting lineup, it’s been a little rocky. I really don’t know what to expect coming in to every game,'' Douglas-Roberts said. "I just don’t really know what to expect, but I’m doing a really good job of staying out of the way, by staying positive. But as far as minutes and my role, I really don’t know. It’s pretty inconsistent.''
	 
Douglas-Roberts _ who claims he's been "dominating practice'' _ said he had no idea why he got benched, but that Vandeweghe hadn’t come to him to discuss it and he didn’t plan to seek out his coach.
	 
"Me and Kiki been talking all year, really. Like I said, I’m not going to talk, I’m not going to go have a meeting, or anything. I’m just not gonna do that,'' Douglas-Roberts. "It was a surprise but I really don’t want that to blow up. Whatever this internal matter is hopefully it’s over now, hopefully we can move on from this internal matter. But I want that to go away.''
	 
Douglas-Roberts has been one of the more outspoken Nets, ubiquitous on Twitter and gregarious in person and on his radio show. He's taken heat for Tweets, and caught flak for showing his frustrations at times, which have almost always stemmed from losing. When asked if he thinks that's gotten him in trouble, he admitted it was a possibility.
	 
"Maybe. I’ve been thinking about a lot of stuff. I’ve been saying this: the only problem I have is I take losing bad and speak up on things. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. I thought it was a good thing by being passionate about losing,'' said Douglas-Roberts, who got a call from Jerry Stackhouse.
	 
"(He said) basically keep on doing what you’re doing. Your personality is a good thing and it will be a good thing: It will keep you around.''

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Nets Non-Babbling Brook

February 22, 2010 , ι By FRED KERBER

Brook Lopez repeatedly mentioned how the Nets got away from their team concept, got away from what was working. And nothing was working better than going inside to him in the first half Sunday... Read on

"We just went away from a lot of things in the second half that helped us play so well," Lopez offered.

That happens to you a lot, though?

Lopez: silence.

Maybe your silence is speaking volumes?

Lopez: silence (but with a smile).

So essentially, the Nets today were trying to address ways to keep Lopez involved, even when the other team is sitting in his lap. Some say the 7-footer should just demand the ball, although he says "that's not really in my nature" bugt admits he may need to be more forceful and vocal.

Well, he's going to have to get it in his nature. Keyon Dooling said the Nets just have to force feed the hot hand. Lopez had 22 points by halftime Sunday. Lopez had three shots after halftime Sunday.

"You want to force-feed him, but at the same time, you want to put him in a good position," said Devin Harris, who admitted he was partially to blame for Lopez' invisibility Sunday. "We don't want him to catch the ball 20 feet out. They did a good job of fronting him, but then it's my job to swing the ball and try to get it to him on the other side."

Whatever it takes. And it's not like pounding it to Lopez might, you know, mess up the season.
	 
 Of course, it would have been nice if the Nets hit a couple of decent outside shots. The Nets insisted they got good looks, just didn’t make them. And interim Kiki Vandeweghe seemed most upset not at the shots per se, but the ones hoisted early in the clock.

"It’s experience, it’s understanding time and flow of the game," Vandeweghe said. "Defenses aren’t stupid. They’re going to load everyone around him and when he catches, they’re running guys at him. In that case they push him off the block…He cannot play 1-on-3 in the post. He’s got to pass and other guys got to hit shots. It’s not complex."

The Nets not named Lopez shot 11-of-37 (.297) in the second half.
	 
* * *
	 
If you're keeping score:

The Nets' tragic number, the number for playoff elimination, is five with eighth place Charlotte. The most the Nets can win is 31 games, Charlotte already has 27. So any combo of Nets losses or Bobcat wins totaling five and the playoff dream dies.

But the good news? Depending on the Apr. 12 game – which could be the last NBA game ever in Izod Center – the Nets hold the tie-breaker with the Bobcats. They've beaten them 2-of-3 games.
	 
* * *
	 
After practice, Jarvis Hayes shot on the strained left calf that was kicked Sunday. Vandeweghe and Hayes himself say it's "doubtful" he'll play. Yi Jianlian, bothered by a sore lower back, is "probable." Neither Hayes nor Yi practiced with the team.

Hayes admitted the "doubtful" tag, but said, "Right now, it's doing good. It felt like I got kicked in it. I might have strained it a little it."

He said his shot "felt good" but cautioned that was wide open practice shooting. One good sign? "I'm not in pain right now."
	 
* * *
	 
The Chris Douglas-Roberts matter for Sunday – he was benched – is something everyone seems to want to go away. One Nets official claimed there was an "unexcused absence" by the second-year wing on Saturday. Vandeweghe declined to discuss it today, claiming it was an "internal matter" that has been handled.

"It's nothing. I'd rather talk about something other than this whole thing," CD-R said.
	 
* * *

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Nets Know Newark. Sort Of.

February 19, 2010 , ι By FRED KERBER

You take the New Jersey Turnpike to get there – unless you're arriving by plane. You don't want to park your car in the state's biggest city there but you can see the Devils and starting next season the Nets in the Prudential Center which you should know about because it was all over the Internet.

And that in a nutshell is what the current Nets, many of whom will not be around next season, proclaim to know about the City of Newark, their new home starting next season for two years or, given the speed with which the Brooklyn Arena has moved along, the next decade and a half.

So what do you know about Newark, the city?
	 
"The Devils play there. We fly out of there like every week," offered Devin Harris.

"You have to take the Turnpike to get there," said motorist Brook Lopez.

"Nothing," claimed Bobby Simmons.

"I know we almost sold out pre-season games there," said interim Kiki Vandeweghe.

"We are going to play there next year. I saw about it on Internet last night," said Yi Jianlian.

"When the Nets had pre-season games there, the attendance was good," Chris Quinn replied.

"Biggest city in the state," claimed Jarvis Hayes (it is population-wise – for area, Vineland wins).

"It's got the highest stolen car and car break-in rate," was Trenton Hassell's pitch that won't be picked up by the city's Chamber of Commerce.

"It has the Prudential Center. Nice facility. The only time I've been in Newark is to fly out or go to pre-season games," said Keyon Dooling.
	 
* * *
	 
Bobby Simmons is still here, although not playing, and it has been suggested he would take a buyout in order to get somewhere to play.

"No," Simmons said flatly when asked if he'd want to be bought out.

"I was not necessarily disappointed (there was no trade) but as far as a guy wanting to play and get an opportunity, there's no leave now as opposed to finishing out our season and having that opportunity," said Simmons.
	 
* * * .
	 
So the Nets obviously have the team they are going forward with for the rest of the season. Most of the players didn't expect any moves anyway.

And as Keyon Dooling noted, nothing would help this sorry season.

"Right now, we're so far gone we could get the best player in the world and that wouldn't get us in the playoff run," Dooling said. "So it wouldn't matter who we got. It wouldn't change the result. We might win a few more games but overall, it wouldn't be beneficial to the future."

For the Nets, that's everything, the future. The present, well, tough. In New Jersey, Essex and Union Counties count – as does New York City – and the rest, well see you in Newark next season. But please come to the final 28 games.

"The future to me is like tomorrow. Pretty much, that’s it. I’m focused on the now," said Lopez, who must have missed the marketing memo.

"It's not something we can concern ourselves with, obviously, because it's out of our control. So we don't think too much about it," Harris said.
	 
* * *
	 
With all their activity, the Knicks should have about $33 million – a stunning figure – to go free agent hunting this summer. That's roughly $9 million more than the Nets who had led the pack for so long. It's sort of like a lot of Nets games this year. They lead and then get overtaken.

So now that the New York tabloids have LeBron in a Knicks uniform, what's it all mean to the Net psyche?

"Well, that remains to be seen," said Kiki Vandeweghe, interim coach and GM. "I don’t know. I think you have to let it play out. There’s a long time through the rest of this season, the playoffs, free agency, the draft, a lot of things can happen."

The Nets worked very hard to get themselves roughly $24 million to spend and they didn't want to mess up any of that. There has been too much pain.

"We’ve done a lot in a year-and-a-half, so I think that we had a lot of cap space, we still have a lot of cap space, we have young players that play and right now the focus is, we’ve still got to develop those guys, get better internally and try and try and win some games," Vandeweghe said.
	 
* * *
	 
Devin Harris on the deadline when nothing happened: "Which is what we pretty much figured."

Trenton Hassell, another who was hoping for a trade, kept his usual professionalism: "I still have a job. Teams are not willing to take on salaries right now. It is what it is. I'm still on the Nets so I have to prepare in case they need me."
	 
* * *
	 
Sunday night, when the Nets play Memphis at 6 o'clock, the team is promoting "An Evening of Chinese Culture" with pre-game, halftime and post-game performances by artists from mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Caesars Atlantic City, Western Union, Vonage and the Chinese-American Business Development Center are co-sponsoring.

Be honest, aren't you hoping Yi does stand-up?

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It's official: Nets will play in Newark on way to Brooklyn

February 18, 2010 , ι By BETH DeFALCO

The Nets have reached a deal with New Jersey to move their regular-season games to Newark’s Prudential Center for two years until their arena is built in Brooklyn. Under the deal, the Nets will pay a... Read on

The Nets have reached a deal with New Jersey to move their regular-season games to Newark’s Prudential Center for two years until their arena is built in Brooklyn.
	 
Under the deal, the Nets will pay a $4 million penalty over two years to get out of their lease at the Izod Center in the Meadowlands.
	 
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority voted to approve the deal Thursday morning. Details of the arrangement were announced Thursday afternoon by Gov. Chris Christie’s office.
	 
“This is a good agreement for the Nets and a good agreement for New Jersey,” said Jon Hanson, who chairs a governor’s gaming, sports, and entertainment commission and who worked on the deal.
	 
It has not been determined when the Nets will begin playing in Newark. The team is planning to move to Brooklyn by 2012.
	 
Officials have long tried to broker a truce between the competing venues; the Nets play in East Rutherford, the Devils call Newark home.
	 
"Before we make our permanent move to Brooklyn, this interim relocation to Newark enables us to continue our goal to further regionalize the team, not only in Essex and Union Counties, but also in New York City due to the direct mass transit access available between Manhattan and the Prudential Center," Nets CEO Brett Yormark said in a statement.
	 
"We are confident that the NBA family will see this as a positive move, as we do."
	 
The deal means that the Devils, Nets and Seton Hall all will be playing in the Prudential Center.
	 
“The Nets, Devils and Seton Hall all played at Continental when it was called that and it wasn’t a problem,” said Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek, referring to the old name of the Izod Center. “I am confident if they came here it would work out fine.”
	 
The agreement reached Thursday contains a non-disparagement between Izod and Prudential, with the Newark arena focusing on sports and the Izod Center concentrating on concerts and family shows.
	 
As part of the agreement, the $4 million penalty can be offset by various credits, including up to $250,000 each year for the guarantee of proceeds to benefit the Newark Symphony Hall; up to $100,000 each year for the leasing of two Prudential Center suites to the Sports and Exposition Authority, one during Nets games and one during general events; and, up to $100,000 each year in advertising credits.
	 
The Nets played two preseason games in Newark, the state’s largest city, both drawing far more than usual at the Izod Center. The announced crowd for their 96-92 loss to New York on Wednesday night was 15,721.
	 
An NJ.com report says, "The Nets agreed they would not stand in the way of another NBA franchise coming to New Jersey in the future, which leaves the door open to another team coming to the Prudential Center should the Nets finally move to Brooklyn."
	 
AP Sports Writer Tom Canavan contributed to this report.

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Nets' Thorn talks deadline, not meeting with owner

February 16, 2010 , ι By FRED KERBER

On one side of the continent, Nets team president Rod Thorn continued his meetings with the team’s incoming Russian owner to map out potential paths and options for the team’s optimistic future.
	 
And on the other side of North America, the Nets faced the Bobcats, with some eyeing the countdown to Thursday's NBA trading deadline, hoping to escape the team’s dreadful present.
	 
Thorn declined any comment whatsoever on his meetings with billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov in Vancouver, and if Thorn had his way on the subject, he would have had you believe he was in Sandusky, Ohio. But Thorn did address the trade front with the deadline at 3 p.m. Thursday. Basically, he foresees nothing big.
	 
“I’d say probably nothing,” Thorn said when asked what the Nets would do. “But you never know. Somebody could call looking for an expiring contract and then we’d be in business. But right now, I don’t see anything of any importance that we have out there.”
	 
That expected lack of activity could be crushing news to the likes of Bobby Simmons, Trenton Hassell and Josh Boone, three good-soldier types whose playing time has resided somewhere between non-existent and not much. And they are three guys whose trade options are limited, either because of their contracts or their lack of playing time. Simmons had played once in the 24 games before tonight. Hassell had sat out seven of 13. Boone had watched 14 of 22, including eight in a row.
	 
“It would be tough on any player, sacrificing his game for the team as well as coming in and not having an opportunity from the start,” said Simmons, who makes $11.2 million in the final year of his contract. “I have to stay focused because you’re not only playing for this one team, you’re playing for numerous teams around the league.
	 
“Being a player in this league, you want to play. Not only that, but one of the highest paid guys on the team and not getting an opportunity, I’ve never seen that before.”
	 
If misery loves company, then Simmons has plenty of company on the Nets.
	 
“Sometimes, there’s not really a whole lot you can do other than stay ready,” Boone said. “Whatever happens, happens. If [a trade] happens, maybe it’s a good thing, maybe it’s not. It depends on where it would be.”
	 
Hassell, who has been a spot starter and sometimes backup, said his lack of a role makes it tough. But he tries to stay upbeat and professional.
	 
“I try to help the young guys,” Hassell said. “You practice hard. Stay in shape in case something happens. You never know.”
	 
Sometimes you play. Sometimes someone gets hurt and you start. So you prepare yourself and stay focused and just enjoy the game.

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About the Author

FRED KERBER Fred Kerber joined the Post in 1990 and has been Nets beat writer since 1995. He covered the Knicks from 1990-95 and was NBA columnist as well as president of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Fred, a 1974 graduate of St. Peter’s College, also has covered baseball, college sports, police headquarters, and federal and county courts.