The Nets are, yet again, under semi-reconstruction. While Stephon Marbury and Keith Van Horn are still mainstays on the squad, just about everything else in swampland has changed.

Following in the path of the Orlando Magic, the Nets have hired a former quality NBA guard with no coaching experience as their head coach. Byron Scott has been around basketball for a long time, and, after years on the championship-winning Lakers teams of the 1980's, bounced around a bit and received exposure to alternate coaching and team philosophies. Perhaps the Nets are tired of hiring NBA has-beens as their head coaches and figure they can't do any worse letting someone with zero experience run things. Scott will have help from experienced assistant coaches, so he's got as good a shot as anyone in shaking things up positively.

A new team president was needed. Who better than Rod Thorn? A very impressive addition.

Kerry Kittles, the team's former shooting guard, will probably miss some or all of the 2000-2001 NBA season. Ron Mercer is tops on their list of replacements, and Tariq Abdul-Wahad, Derek Anderson, and Chauncey Billups are also being considered.

There is a $3.8 million disabled-player exception possibly available to the Nets, due to the injury to either Kerry Kittles or Jayson Williams, and New Jersey is still waiting on whether the league will grant it or not. The Nets really need it to even hope to land someone like Mercer.

Kendall Gill, a natural shooting guard forced to play out of position at small forward for the longest time, is a free agent. While the Nets would love to keep him, there's a problem. Between Kenyon Martin and Keith Van Horn, the team's frontcourt is pretty booked up. Sliding Gill back to shooting guard, where he belongs, seems like the logical move. But Stephon Marbury, who can do everything, excels at penetrating. It's hard to have your point guard slashing to the basket and dishing out to a shooting guard who will be unable to hit outside shots created for him. Gill is a terrific defender, and can do a lot of things offensively and on the board, but the Nets need a shooting guard who can make the most out of what Marbury can create.

Of course, Abdul-Wahad and Derek Anderson can't shoot either.

The center spot will probably be filled by committee.

Free agent Johnny Newman would like to remain a Net. But he's about 85 years old and is good for coming off the bench, not filling a starting role.

The additions of Scott, #1 draft pick Kenyon Martin, plus whomever the Nets manage to grab via free agency (Mercer is probably the best player they can afford under the salary cap) should make for a really interesting Nets season.

Nets Team News
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