Ever since Jason Kidd arrived, it’s been accepted in New Jersey that the Nets would contend for the Eastern Conference championship. In the past five years they’ve won it twice, lost in the second round two other times, and made the playoffs all five seasons. In four of those seasons, they lost to the eventual NBA champion, and it might have been five if Dwyane Wade hadn’t pulled that muscle in his rib cage. But for a brief blip between Kenyon Martin and Vince Carter, this has been one of the best teams in basketball.