No Land Grab

by John Torenli

Not unlike his bid to bring the Nets to Brooklyn, Bruce Ratner’s new basketball team keeps finding ways to make believers out of those who doubt them the most. Namely me.

Just over a week after practically writing off the Nets’ chances of making a serious run at a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, I am forced to humbly take back my scathing words of negativity.

The Nets have reeled off five straight wins since my column all but buried them in the East, and have moved within one game of eighth-place Philadelphia for the final playoff spot in the conference entering tonight’s home meeting with Memphis.

``Since I've been a Net, it's never been about how you start, it's how you finish the marathon,'' said point guard Jason Kidd, who has led the Nets to two NBA Finals and three straight division titles since arriving in New Jersey in 2001.

``Right now we're playing our best basketball, but at the same time we have a lot more to give and also to learn, and we look forward to that challenge.”

Ratner, who has been sighted at courtside with co-owner and Brooklyn rap icon Jay-Z over the past week, never gave up hope that this team would eventually click.

After letting Kenyon Martin go in the offseason and watching Richard Jefferson go down with a season-ending injury, it would have been easy for the Nets to lay down and wait until next year.

But Ratner and general manager Rod Thorn re-loaded by acquiring Vince Carter and when Kidd returned healthy from offseason knee surgery, the Nets knew they had a shot at competing for the playoffs.

Only they didn’t begin truly showing it until this past week.

``It's kind of hard to put it in perspective because at the start of the season we had a totally different team,'' coach Lawrence Frank told the Associated Press.

``We've had this group for a while and we're making strides. We've obviously had some highs and some lows, and I think now what we're in search of is consistency, and we're starting to see that. Our focus is to continue to improve until the season’s over.”

After getting together over $300 million to buy the team last year, Ratner is no doubt hoping his first season as Nets owner doesn’t end until late May or early June. In other words, a deep playoff run would greatly benefit the franchise, which is playing out the string in New Jersey before re-locating to Brooklyn by 2007 or 2008.

The Nets received another boost Tuesday when Jefferson returned to practice for the first time since having surgery on Jan. 20 to repair a ruptured ligament in his left wrist.

Jefferson had his cast removed Monday afternoon, a week ahead of schedule, and was scheduled to begin physical therapy following Tuesday’s practice. He said he felt no pain in his wrist and he spent the majority of the time working on his shooting.

“My wrist has good mobility in it already,” Jefferson said. “I have a long road of rehab in front of me but I’m excited about it. I could do everything except maybe dribble with my left hand.”

No timetable was given on a possible return to the lineup but Jefferson did say if the season was on the line he could be available for the stretch run.

“It could be a possibility but it depends on the scenario,” he said. “I’m not going to say 100% I’ll be back. All I’ll say is I will be capable to playing towards the end of the season.”

The more likely scenario has Jefferson returning for the postseason or the start of the 2005-06 season.

Ratner forecasted himself that the team would get better as the season progressed after giving Thorn the power to acquire Carter from Toronto. Now, he has a real chance of seeing his dynamic trio – Carter, Kidd and Jefferson – on the floor for the first time this year.

Those who chose not to believe in Ratner’s optimism also probably didn’t think an NBA team could play its home games in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn. In a couple of years, the Downtown real estate magnate will be right about that prediction as well.