Avery Johnson joked that when the time comes for the Nets to get something done with free agents, he’s like Mariano Rivera.
 
“They bring me in to close,” Johnson said today.
 
Johnson can give the final sales pitch – he ultimately decides how much a player plays. But the two biggest things for the Nets in their pursuit of any free agent are Mikhail Prokhorov’s fortune and Deron Williams’ future.
 
Williams declared his intentions yesterday, saying, “I plan to stay.” That should help the Nets lure some players. But the almighty millions could be the deciding factor.
 
The truth is the Nets are going to have to spend more than they probably would like in order to get Nene or Tyson Chandler or Caron Butler or even to bring Kris Humphries

Billy King’s season-ending session with the media Wednesday covered everything from his recent hand procedure to next week’s surgery to remove a calcium deposit in Brook Lopez’s right arm.

That’s not the only cutting expected to happen with the Nets this offseason.

To King, the Nets' general manager, the stated goal next year is to make the playoffs. It should be. The Nets have a superstar now, and having Deron Williams healthy is a great first step to that end. But there needs to be a roster overhaul to go from a 24-win team to one that sees the postseason.

There is no doubt overall that the Nets made strides from last season. They built a foundation for the future as they doubled their win total from a year ago. They probably should have had a few more wins,

The Nets ended the first season of the Mikhail Prokhorov/Avery Johnson/Billy King era with 24-58 record after a tough, hard-fought 97-92 loss to Chicago Bulls last night.

The Nets doubled last year’s win total but still have plenty of work to do to become not only a playoff team, but a championship contender as Prokhorov promised. The next phase of that process begins now, but here’s a look back at that first year.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Naturally, if Deron Williams would have been with the Nets all season, it would have been him. He proved that in his 12 games as a Net. But for the duration of the season, it was Kris Humphries. He did it all for the Nets in terms of defense, dirty work, physical play and rebounding and finished the season with career-high averages of 10.0

The Nets finally showed some of the spirit and pride coach Avery Johnson hoped to see from them, but it came after LeBron James and the Miami Heat had built a 21-point cushion.

The Nets got within six, but the Heat were never really threatened. Even though Miami missed so many shots inside and free throws that allowed the Nets to hang around, when the Heat needed a bucket, James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh delivered or made the pass that led to the score.

That’s a luxury the Nets wish they had, so many teams wish they had it – multiple stars who can make plays. But if there is anything the Nets should take out of their 108-94 loss, it was that they came back, something they didn’t do against the Rockets or the 76ers.

They came back with a small lineup and with Travis

The Nets' pre-Christmas two-game trip is a little bit of what could have been and a lot of what could be. Everything about the Nets right now is what could be.

Everyone knows what is happening: the Nets are in transition and won’t make the playoffs as constituted, but have young assets, expiring contracts and draft picks to make trades, and improve quickly with Carmelo Anthony, their top target. He’s definitely in the “what could be” category and has a connection to this trip.

The Nets open up tomorrow in Memphis, where they finally will see Rudy Gay.

The high-scoring small forward was considered the Nets’ fallback option if they couldn’t get LeBron James in free agency. It turned out they couldn’t get either.

Coach Avery Johnson and Nets’

After a lost week, after four straight losses when Brook Lopez surprisingly came up small and the Nets’ toughness came into question yet again, they have a chance to see .500 again.

And it may be the Nets’ last chance.

After Tuesday's and Wednesday’s home-and-home against LeBron James-less Cleveland, the 2-4 Nets play the Magic, go West for four games, and return home for a back-to-back against Atlanta and at Boston.

Things could change and the Nets could become a .500 team or even a playoff team if they acquire Carmelo Anthony later in the season. If anything, last week proved they need a proven go-to scorer, someone who can stop other teams’ runs or make plays down the stretch when they need them.

The Nets had no answer for the Heat on Halloween, missed seven

The Nets -- to quote the great philosopher Prokhorov -- just need time.

They proved that yesterday against the Heat, but also in the two prior games. They were great victories for the Nets, who showed great resilience, as Devin Harris and Brook Lopez played the roles of co-captains well.

But the Nets were this-close to losing both of those games to the Pistons and Kings, respectively, and could very easily be 0-3 right now. Then people would be wondering what’s wrong with the Nets, does Avery Johnson know what he’s doing, the players aren’t responding to him, they wasted money on the free agents they signed and they better get Carmelo Anthony right now.

Yet because of those two wins, Harris playing well in the two wins, Derrick Favors showing he can be a rebounding

LeBron James played the role of the villain today in his first game at Prudential Center since deciding he was taking his talents to South Beach.

The boos were heard early and often during the Heat’s 101-78 dismantling of the Nets.

James knows he’s going to be booed in most cities, but our guess here is Cleveland, New York and New Jersey will be the ones he hears it the loudest. They’re the three places that either feel the most abandoned (Cleveland), slighted (Cleveland) or just disappointed (all three) that they don’t have a franchise player wearing a No. 6 jersey.

“There’s never a time where we can’t be motivated going into any arena,” James said. “We know we’re going to get booed most of the night. It almost seems like we’ve

The Nets don’t want to upset Miami on the eve of their first meeting with the Heat.

When questions were asked after practice today about what they thought of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade forming a super alliance, the Nets said they had no problem with it.

We’re not saying they’re not being honest. They’re all players or former players so they’re going to stick together. James, Wade and Bosh never did anything personally to the Nets except for opt against joining them when they had the chance in July.

The truth is who could blame them? Yes, Mikhail Prokhorov has more money than anyone I have ever met and yes the Nets are going to Brooklyn in a couple of years and Jay-Z is part owner and everything is looking up.

But players are about right now,