In the 'Zzone

The Palace

Something must happen to people, players, teams, referees when they come into the Palace of Auburn Hills.

We all remember the Malice in the Palace. A few years ago, there was the incident here when the Nets didn't like some calls and Jason Kidd called Tom Washington's crew "the three blind mice." And now this.

If you don't know what this is because you started your New Year's Eve party early it was Vince Carter's second career ejection following an innocuous play with 6:48 left in the second and certainly will have the league looking into it.

Remembering 2008

This will be a year to remember for Nets' fans. Some good, some bad, but memorable all the same.

Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson and Jason Collins were sent packing. Devin Harris and Brook Lopez were brought in. It's a new team, with new goals, a new plan and a better future.

Without further ado here is our 2008 retrospective:

A Tale of Two Bigs

Nenad Krstic will be back in New Jersey in about two weeks - with Oklahoma City. Not sure when Sean Williams will be back or if.
 
He was sent down to the NBDL's Colorado 14ers to get some practice, game action and work on the perimeter. He's more of a power forward than he is a center anyway. So from that standpoint, this could be good for Williams.

Bottom line: the Nets want Williams to improve, but they also want him to improve his value.

The schedule was part of the reason he was assigned. Colorado plays tonight, then again on Jan. 2 before the NBDL showcase in Utah and Anaheim and then a back-to-back with Austin follows that. Between now and what is a five-day break in the 14ers schedule from Jan. 15-20, the Nets likely will have only about five practices. Williams will get more work in down there.

Williams Sent Down

The Nets just announced they've assigned Sean Williams to their D-League affiliate the Colorado 14ers.

This isn't all that surprising because they think he needs to play and get better and he'll get more of a chance down there than he will here. If the Nets find the right deal for the second-year big man they would move him.

The Plan

The deadline for matching Nenad Krstic is today. They won't, barring something unexpected.

They like Krstic as a player and a person and it's a shame what happened with his knee because he was on his way to being a cornerstone. This situation would be much easier if he didn't have the season he had last year coming back from the knee surgery.

Then again, if he had a better season, they probably wouldn't have let him go to Russia.

Back to Work

The Nets are back to work and look well rested after a two-day break following the dramatic victory in Indiana. Maybe it leads to a rare home win.

That's it. We won't bring up the home-road thing again, but be advised the Nets were asked about it this morning at shootaround. It's inevitable until they straighten it out. But we'll let it go for now.

Everyone was there except Stromile Swift, who remains away from the team for personal reasons. Doubt he'll be there tomorrow in Charlotte, either.

Home for the Holidays

Go ahead. Take a try at it.

What's your reason for why the Nets are a better team on the road than at home? I've been asked repeatedly, by fans, colleagues, on YES and I don't have a legitimate answer.

People want to say it's because of the lack of energy in Izod Center, but I don't buy it. Indiana wasn't hopping last night yet the Nets played with passion and purpose and won the thriller on Devin Harris' buzzer-beating jumper.

Kidd Unplugged and Nenad News

As we like to do here from time to time, here are some of the things Jason Kidd said about his return to New Jersey when the media caught up with him yesterday at Baruch College.

Before we get into that, I'm hearing that Nenad Krstic is about to sign an offer sheet with the Oklahoma City Thunder - about $16 million over three years. The Nets may lose him for good this time.

No. 5 Is Back

He spent six-plus seasons with the Nets when most didn't expect him to stay more than two.

He took a perennial loser, winners of 16 (lockout year), 31 and 26 games before he got there and led them to 52, 49, and 47 victories the next three years. He carried the Nets to two NBA Finals and might have made it three in a row had it not been for a little problem with his knee that needed micro-fracture surgery to repair.

You all know who I'm talking about: Jason Kidd, the Nets' best NBA player and the reason many of you could be proud to say you were a fan the prior six years or so.

Devin's Dramatic Flair

Never mind that angle.

Devin Harris and Lawrence Frank did everything to dismiss the idea that the emerging point guard plays better against the best guards than he does your average, every-day, less hyped point guard.

"When do you ever play a bad point guard?" Frank said this morning. "Who can't play?"