Rod Thorn had his reasons for leaving the Nets that may have been right for him personally, but it wasn’t a smart move professionally.

The former Nets president and now Sixers president won’t expound any more than he has about why he left. You’ve heard the reasons: it was time, some things happened in the last 2 ½ years that led him to his decision, personality conflicts, the team needed to go in a different direction and so did he.

But this wasn’t a lateral move for Thorn. It was a step backward in areas such as talent, flexibility, finances and the team’s future.

The Nets, who beat Philadelphia 90-89 in preseason action today on Stephen Graham’s game-winning, buzzer-beating three, are in far better shape than the 76ers all the way around.

Newark is supposed to be Shaquille O’Neal’s turf, but a gigantic billboard covering a building on Route 21 seems to indicate it’s Brook Lopez’s city now.

Further proof was early in Thursday’s game in the Prudential Center as Lopez took it to O’Neal and drew three quick fouls on Shaq in his backyard.

Clearly, O’Neal is not the player he was and Lopez is the Nets’ star on the rise. He probably won’t ever reach Shaq’s status, but everyone knows he is for the Nets what O’Neal was for the Magic, Lakers and Heat – The Man

“Brook Lopez is going to be great if he continues to work,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “Right now Brook is the picture of the Nets. He is ‘The Guy.’ He’s tough

NEWARK, N.J. –- You can’t overlook the opponent or the fact that, for most of the game, they didn’t play anyone taller than 6-foot-8, but that doesn’t discount what Nets rookie forward Derrick Favors did in his first professional game.

In New Jersey's preseason opener, Favors played 21 minutes and scored 14 points, threw down four dunks, missed only two shots and grabbed nine rebounds in a 108-70 trashing of Maccabi Haifa at Prudential Center.

“He was good,” Avery Johnson said. “In the right spots on defense, really decisive on offense, ran the floor well. He got some good work in for his first professional game.”

More than a week ago, it seemed this space would be about Carmelo Anthony’s New Jersey debut. But Anthony remains in Denver

The Nets conclude two-a-days with tonight’s open practice at their new, temporary home, The Prudential Center, but that doesn’t necessarily mean training camp is over.

“We have a note in their playbook that camp doesn’t officially end until Oct. 20 at 11:59,” coach Avery Johnson said today.

That day and time coincides with the end of the Nets’ preseason schedule. The finale of their eight-game exhibition schedule, which includes two games in China, is Oct. 20 at Boston.

Johnson saying camp doesn’t end until then means he’s going to keep teaching and pushing this young team, but that’s going to continue throughout the season and for as long as they play for Johnson and he works for the Nets’ organization. That’s Johnson’s

The next time Nets general manager Billy King or assistant GM Bobby Marks speak to Denver execs we could see the conversation going something like this:

Nets: Are you really ready to move Carmelo Anthony this time? If not, don’t waste our time.

Nugs: We are ready.

Nets: Are you ready to move forward and keep it between us? If this gets out again and our players are put in a bad spot and we have to keep answering questions about a trade we’re going to back out again.

Nugs: We are ready.

Nets: You know you’re not going to get Favors and two first-round picks from us now after what happened. Maybe you can get another first-rounder from another team.

Nugs: We understand.

Nets: And at the last minute, don’t try to add more players and make the deal harder to pull

The Nets had enough.

Wanting to know whether Denver was in or out, Nets general manager Billy King put a Tuesday deadline on the Nuggets and then pulled out of the four-team deal for Carmelo Anthony when they couldn't commit.

The deal as it was initially constructed is off, but that doesn't mean the Nets can't acquire Anthony at a later time.

It made sense for King to go this route and it was surprising it took him long to apply pressure on the Nuggets. They have handled this poorly from the beginning.

NBA sources believe the Nuggets leaked the deal before it was completed and then have been the ones holding it up. The Nets have to move forward and put back the pieces, especially where Devin Harris and Derrick Favors are concerned.

Making matters worse, the rest of the

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- As everyone in the NBA waits on Carmelo Anthony and the Nets, Nuggets, Bobcats and Jazz to decide whether this blockbuster will become a reality, training camp opened for New Jersey today.

Yes, Devin Harris was running the point and yes Derrick Favors was running the floor.

Will they still be around for the afternoon practice or both sessions remains to be seen, but they are the two main players the Nets are expected to move to get the high-scoring Anthony.

The deal could still break down because of all the teams, players, owners and egos involved. But if it does go through, there has been plenty of talk about whether the Nets would be giving up too much, but you have to give up something to get a top-tier player that immediately becomes the face of your franchise.

Anthony Morrow was the only Net named Anthony in the gym for today’s Media Day, but that could change by Monday.

The Nets are moving closer to acquiring Carmelo Anthony from the Nuggets in a complicated four-team trade that is totally contingent upon the superstar small forward signing an extension with New Jersey.

That makes the trade even more complex, because if Anthony says no, the Nets won’t make the move for him. They can’t mortgage their future without any guarantees from Anthony.

But it certainly made for an interesting Media Day. The Nets were happy to put last season's 12-win embarrassment and start anew, but they could look very different in a couple of days and some of what they said could be moot.

Rookie power forward Derrick Favors tried to dismiss trade