Despite Losses, Nets Have Much Reason for Optimism

Our mind is trained to pay attention to the wins and losses, because ultimately that's what matters.

But early in the season, hard as it may be, the best thing to do is ignore the standings entirely. A close look at what your team is doing and how they're doing it can often be more informative than a win-loss record that can be heavily influenced by a couple of close games, especially in the early season.

Nowhere is that more true than in New Jersey. Despite beginning the season 4–2, the Nets' start to the season was rather unimpressive, consisting mostly of late escapes against bad teams.

Conversely, despite the 0–4 week that followed, which included three homes losses, I'm not nearly as down on Lawrence Frank's squad as some other folks. For starters, although it went down as a loss, the 84–82 defeat against the Hornets last Monday was easily the Nets' best game of the season.

Damning with faint praise though that may be, it's notable since the Nets were shorthanded and playing one of the league's hottest teams. Similarly, getting pasted by the Magic and Celtics minus Vince Carter isn't as newsworthy as it might seem given that those two clubs are the cream of the East right now. And though a home loss to Miami is hardly a positive, they're much more formidable now that Dwyane Wade is back.

While the Nets are likely to keep sinking in the standings for a little while — the upcoming schedule is brutal, and they're still working out some of the kinks — let's turn the tables and present an optimistic case for the remainder of New Jersey's season:

They outplayed a good team last Monday: The scoreboard favored the Hornets, but the Nets were the better team. The only reason they lost was because New Orleans shot a ridiculous 11-of-17 on 3-pointers — and the ones not named "Stojakovic" actually were even better, converting 7 of 10 from downtown.

That's a fluke, plain and simple, and if you take that away you realize how unbelievably well New Jersey played at the defensive end, especially in the second half. Of course, there might have been a reason for that, and his name might be….

Sean Williams: Nets fans have been clamoring for an upgrade at the center spot ever since Todd MacCulloch left town, but they may not be much longer. Since being inserted into the game against the Hornets, Sean Williams has been fantastic.

The rookie from Boston College got his first start against the Heat in Saturday's defeat and finished with 22 points, eight rebounds, two blocks, and two steals. The shot-blocking has been particularly enthralling for Nets fans, who haven't seen a front-court player who can jump over a piece of paper since Kenyon Martin left town. In his limited minutes thus far, he's averaging nearly 20 points and more than 12 rebounds per 40 minutes, shooting 65.7% from the floor, and blocking a shot every eight minutes.

Take that with a grain of salt because of the small sample size, but it's still bewildering how the Nets were able to get this guy so late in the first round. With front-court players, that almost never happens. If the kid can avoid igniting herbal plants — something that got him in trouble multiple times in college and contributed to his slide on draft day — he's going to be the steal of the draft.

The real bonus will come if and when Nenad Krstic gets his mojo back, because Williams's development will banish the likes of Jason Collins and Malik Allen to the nether regions of the rotation.

Richard Jefferson is going crazy: Jefferson's ankle problems were a major reason things turned south last season, but this season has been a polar opposite. With apologies to Jason Kidd, Jefferson has been far and away the Nets' best player in the early going. He's eighth in the league in scoring at 24.2 points a game, inexplicably shooting 90% from the line, and will be a shoo-in for the All-Star team if he keeps playing this way.

He'll be even better once Carter gets back. Jefferson is more an opportunist than an every-possession go-to guy, but without Vince his numbers look eerily similar to the 2004-05 Jefferson — a player who was forced to hoist extra shots and ended up shooting 42.2% from the floor as a result. In six games with Carter this year, Jefferson made 48.4% from the floor; in four without him, Jefferson converted only 37.5% while averaging fewer points but more turnovers.

Krstic will only get better :

Krstic isn't even remotely healthy right now. He isn't in game shape because he hadn't played in nearly a year after blowing out his knee early last season. The Nets are leaving him out there to shake off the rust, and right now, they're paying a price for it. But as the year wears on and his surgically repaired knee gets closer to full strength, he's going to start acting more like the Krstic we've seen in previous seasons. Well, he'd better, anyway, because otherwise they're screwed. But for the moment, let's see the glass as half full.

Vince should come back healthy: The silver lining of Vince Carter's ankle sprain is that it might allow his bothersome thumb to heal, which in turn might allow him to make a shot once in a while. Carter was brutally bad in the Nets' first six games, which was a big reason they played so poorly at the offensive end. If he can come back and play more like the Carter of old, then Jefferson's ascension would mean New Jersey's star trio would be as fearsome as it's ever been.

Add it all up, and the Nets could be positioning themselves for a much stronger run than expected. Put a healthy Vince alongside another All-Star in Jefferson, the electric Williams, an improving Krstic, and Mr. Franchise at the point, and you really have something.

It could be a month or more until everything comes together, and they might fall well behind the pack in the meantime. But for a team that comes off a winless week with three home losses, the Nets come out of it with a surprising list of reasons for optimism.

jhollinger@nysun.com