The Nets news of the day is Jarvis Hayes being lost for two to three weeks with a strained left hamstring, which was confirmed by an ultrasound test. The Nets news of the week is Vince Carter is returning tomorrow.
We’re going back to Dec. 17, 2004. The phone in the Memphis hotel room rang and someone from the Nets was providing a heads up on the news that would soon be breaking.
“We’re getting Carter,” the caller said.
“Whatcha gonna do with Anthony Carter?” I asked.
“Vince, not Anthony.”
Well that certainly changed things.
And so the undermanned 7-14 Nets that night went out and became the soon-to-be-Carterized 7-15 Nets, despite the lofty 3-of-14 shooting from Rodney Buford who probably saw that his days at two guard were numbered. Carter arrived eventually, sat a couple games with a sore Achilles and finally played on Dec. 27 in Detroit where he came off the bench, logged 42 minutes, cramped up and nearly received the last rites.
But it was the start of a beautiful friendship.
“When Vince first came from Toronto there was a cloud. There was never a hint (here). I mean the guy was, from jump street, phenomenal,” praised coach Lawrence Frank today. “When he came it was Jason’s team…And then to see his growth last year where it was his team. Those young guys would follow him anywhere. He was a great guy to coach. We wish him nothing but the best.”
So Carter makes his return to the Meadowlands tomorrow night as a member of the Orlando Magic and the Nets would like to thank – or strangle — the NBA schedule maker who gave the Nets the Eastern champs as a home opener (wasn’t Columbia available?) And Chris Douglas-Roberts, one of those young guys who were so guided by VC, wants the fans to acknowledge Carter in a good way.
“I hope the fans give him a warm welcome. He deserves it. He did a lot for this organization while he was here,” Douglas-Roberts said.
Carter moments? The lob from Bobby Simmons to beat Toronto after his 3-pointer forced OT. The buzzer-beater three from a neighboring town to beat, yup, Toronto. The dunk over Alonzo Mourning in Miami (got to be on a poster somewhere). But the other moments were simply Carter being as an accommodating star as you could want. For nearly five years, he was accessible and likeable and honest (okay, sometimes a touch grumpy in the morning – who isn’t?). But he was never flat-out nasty.
And for a guy who was characterized as soft, he missed 13 games in his five years as a Net.
“As difficult as it was the past two years, I tried to lay it on the line,” Carter told reporters in Orlando Wednesday.
So the Nets players who played with him with greet him and thank him and relive a moment or two. And Devin Harris has something else planned.
“I’m just looking forward to fouling him one good time. That’s what I’m looking forward to doing,” Harris said.
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Carter isn’t the only returning guy with the Magic. Ryan Anderson is also coming back. It means something to Brook Lopez.
“When I first learned about the trade, I heard Ryan had been traded,” Lopez said. “Then I heard Vince was going with him.”
Lopez and Anderson were best friends on the team.
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Lots of regurgitation about that abysmal fourth quarter fold in Minnesota Wednesday.
“You hope those things don’t happen, but you got to learn from them when they do,” Harris said.
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Harris is one who knows what Carter will go through (again) tomorrow. Harris recalled playing against Dallas the first time.
“It’s a little bit nerve-wracking. You know the team so well. It’s just fresh in your head what they do. It took me to the second time to figure out how to be aggressive,” said Harris, who flopped in his first matchup with the Mavs.
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For Courtney Lee, it’s not about seeing former teammates. Friday is about wiping a 2-of-11 shooting nightmare from the brain and getting a Nets win.
“The type of night that I had, 2-for-11, I haven’t played like that in a while,” Lee said.
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Nets now have a rotation issue with the loss of Hayes. Bobby Simmons could pick up some minutes at the three with Eduardo Najera playing power forward. And of course Terrence Williams becomes more important – he had a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double but had his rookie moments (5 turnovers). Still, he played 31 minutes. Whatever, Hayes is shelved for up to three weeks.
“Jarvis has always been a little bit of an X-factor for us,” said Frank, who feared a tear over a strain. “But in the big scheme of things we thought it could have been much worse. So we’re thankful we’re looking at a couple of weeks, whereas it would have been a whole lot worse than that.”
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And as expected, the Nets picked up the contract options of Courtney Lee, Brook Lopez and Yi Jianlian while declining the fourth year option on Sean Williams.
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TWill’s double-double was the first by a Net debuting rookie since Derrick Coleman had 11 points, 12 boards at Indiana on Nov. 2, 1990.
And based on projected starting lineups, the Nets at 22.8 years have the youngest starting five in the NBA. “We looked like it, the last four minutes of the game,” Harris said.
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