New Jersey Nets: New Season Brings Fresh Start

The New Jersey Nets started the 2009-10 season 0-18, not getting their first victory until December.

The team will not have to wait nearly that long to find the win column this year, winning their season opener 101-98 over the Detroit Pistons in an exciting back-and-forth contest.

Showing resiliency and energy that was clearly lacking a season ago, New Jersey overcame a 95-88 deficit with about a minute and a half left in the fourth quarter.

The key play came with 26 seconds left, when, after losing the handle while driving into the paint, Devin Harris quickly regained control and kicked the ball out to an open Anthony Morrow.

Morrow, who showed his shooting ability by going 5-of-10 from the field and 3-of-6 from three, hit a trey that put New Jersey up 97-95, a lead the Nets would not give up.

Detroit was able to hang around enough to have a chance for a game-tying three at the buzzer, but Rodney Stuckey missed from the corner and the game was over.

Harris, who finished with 22 points, four rebounds and nine assists, was most effective when he was aggressive and driving to the basket, penetrating to open up shots for himself and his teammates.

Brook Lopez, the team's franchise player, was fed the ball early and often in the post, and it could be argued he should have seen it more.

He ended the game 11-of-20 from the field, good for 25 points, while adding in nine rebounds and three blocks.

New Jersey found itself down 47-39 at halftime, but outscored Detroit 31-20 in the third quarter, thanks in large part to the efforts of Harris and Lopez, who were a combined 11-of-14 from the field in those 12 minutes.

There was much speculation coming into the year about how much action rookie Derrick Favors would see and how second-year pro Terrence Williams would be utilized.

Based on this first game, it seems Favors is going to be eased into the pros by coach Avery Johnson.

Favors was solid when on the floor, playing 17 minutes and scoring eight points on 3-for-5 shooting while grabbing 10 rebounds; three of them on the offensive end.

It appears Williams will be used in a fashion very similar to how the Atlanta Hawks use Jamal Crawford, getting starter-type minutes while playing multiple positions off the bench and also being used in crunch-time.

Williams scored 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting, grabbed six boards and added in four assists, as his playmaking ability was obvious.

The team was plus-14 in points with him on the floor, further highlighting his value.

Of note is that, after starting the game, forward Joe Smith saw just five minutes of action and was replaced as a starter in the second half by Kris Humphries.

If that is any indication—and it seems to be—Humphries will be starting at power forward until Troy Murphy gets healthy.

Jordan Farmar was a solid contributor off the bench, scoring 10 points, including some big three-pointers.

There was a considerably greater amount of enthusiasm from both the team and the crowd over last year.

It seemed that the bench was constantly on its feet urging the Nets on the court, with the crowd being much louder in the Nets' new home, the Prudential Center, than it had been in some time when the team was playing in the Meadowlands.

Apparently a change of scenery has done the team well.

Will they make the playoffs as new owner Mikhail Prokhorov promised? There's a long way to go, but this is a good start.