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A big season awaits the Nets, many of their players, coaches and executives, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be a good one.

The Nets could be under new ownership by year's end, preparing for a temporary - or permanent? - move to Newark, and just about everyone not named Brook Lopez is fighting to keep their jobs.

Rod Thorn, Kiki Vandeweghe, Lawrence Frank, his assistants and seven players have expiring contracts. One more can be bought out for 500,000 and another has a team option.

Everyone is intrigued by what potential owner Mikhail Prokhorov will do, where the Nets will play next year and beyond and what they will do in the free-agent sweepstakes in the summer of 2010. But there is a season to be played first and here's a primer:

Starters
Devin Harris: Can get to hole

NEWARK, N.J. - This has become a common sight this preseason: the Nets playing at far less than 100 percent and losing to the Knicks.
 
Half of the winless Nets' six preseason games have been against the Knicks, and half of their six losses have come to their Atlantic Division counterparts. Last night, the Nets came back from 18 down in the third period to lead in the fourth, but still fell 94-92 at the Prudential Center.
 
The Nets have just one more tune up and hope to have Devin Harris and Jarvis Hayes healthy for Friday's game against the Sixers. They both missed the prior two games; Harris with a strained groin and Hayes with a stress reaction in his right shin and neither have practiced in eight days.
 
In all, Harris, the Nets' best player and main ball distributor,

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Chris Douglas-Roberts is like that hungry-slash-angry defensive back - he's not big enough to be a linebacker - who can't wait until the regular-season starts so he can hit somebody.

Wrong sport, we know, but that's how Douglas-Roberts acts and talks - and he's always talking.

The good-natured Nets' swingman said he would like to see more hitting in practice, more fights. He thinks the team will get closer, tougher and going at it in practice will make the Nets better.

"Last year was my first time ever being on a team that was under .500," Douglas-Roberts said. "I'll do anything to try and change that. Whether it's being more vocal in practice, whatever it has to be. I'll do anything to change that and mainly trying to make us a tougher team. We need more