Sean -
I would say to sit down when you read this but I'm guessing you are seated.
Ready?
You sure you're ready?
OK. Here goes
You like the dramatic pauses?
Chris Douglas-Roberts is playing tonight, starting tonight. That means unless something happens between now and 7:30, the Nets will have their opening nightstarting lineup for the first time since their home opener on Oct. 30.
That means you should see Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, Brook Lopez, Yi Jianlian and Douglas-Roberts all on the floor together. Sounds like the start of awinning streak.
"Take it one game at a time," Harris said. "One game at a time."
"One of the things that's been very difficult for all of us is not knowing who's going to play every single night," Kiki Vandeweghe said."If you got teams that are successful, doing well, maximizing their talent, whatever you want to call it, the guys are on the court, understand therotations and you can get a sense of what's going on."
Vandeweghe stops here because Sean Williams is skipping across the court and the coach/GM loses his train of thought.
***
Here's another piece of news that may knock you off of your chair.
Ready?
Unless something happens between now and 7:30, the Nets will have 13 players available tonight. The five starters, Keyon Dooling, Rafer Alston, Josh Boonewill be back, Tony Battie, Terrence Williams, Trenton Hassell, Bobby Simmons and Sean Williams.
That means, yes, Vandeweghe actually has to decide who to de-activate instead of the injuries dictating it. Our guess is it will be that same happy fellowwho was skipping across the court earlier, Sean.
***
Final game of 2009, final game of the decade.
In short it's been a pretty good decade for the Nets, their most exciting and successful in the NBA: the Jason Kidd years, the two NBA Finals, fourAtlantic Division titles, six straight playoff berths.
But it's been a very bad year, obviously with 60 losses to just 21 wins since the calendar turned, and 19 of them were from January to April.
Try to remember the decade more.