They're both out now.

In episode #107, with the deadline approaching, the Knicks finally made a deal with Denver to get Melo. Pmac and I discussed the trade in depth.

In episode #108, for the first time in the history of ‘The Crossover’, I rode solo. It couldn’t have come at a better time as I, uninterrupted, got to cover arguably the biggest trade the Nets have ever completed. Superstar point guard and all-around game changer Deron Williams has taken his talents to Newark.

Subscribe to the show here.

via gothamist.com

Photograph by Bill Kostroun/AP.

Vince Carter was always one classy individual in his time with us and his latest comments are in line with that. He was our last real clutch go-to-guy and leader, and he will always be my favorite player.

For purely selfish reasons, I love seeing him in a Suns jersey (even if it has to be #25... ugh!).

Because, he's there - at least until the end of this season - alongside two of my other all-time favorite players, the ageless Grant Hill and Steve Nash. All three played exceptionally well today (yesterday) against the Knicks at MSG, too.

Anyway, that's beside the point.

He may no longer be a Net and he may not ever have his jersey retired by any of the teams he has played for (including us), but I'm just creating this FanPost as a tribute to my man Vinsanity and his greatness.

Nets career:

#2 All-time in points (8,834)

#3 All-time in points per game (23.6)

#7 All-time in minutes played (14,157)

#2 All-time in field goals made (3,126)

#2 All-time in field goal attempts (6,987)

#3 All-time in 3pt field goals made (638)

#3 All-time in 3pt field goals attempted (1,723)

#3 All-time in free-throws made (1,944)

#4 All-time in free-throws attempted (2,404)

#10 All-time in defensive rebounds (1,639)

#5 All-time in assists (1,762)

#4 All-time in minutes per game (37.9)

#4 All-time in player efficiency rating (21.0)

#6 All-time in win shares (43.6)

Vince Carter - well done. My mancrush and I salute you.

Hey guys, just thought this could be as good a place as any to wish you all a happy and safe Christmas. Here's hoping Santa is good to the Nets this year!

How's everyone celebrating the occasion?  We just did the typical family gathering thing at my house. I ate WAY, WAAAAAY too much. I know everyone always says that, but this time it really is true. I'm more full than Eddy Curry after a Donut King buffet.

I posted the following on my website and I thought it appropriate to re-post here...

There is a string of things fans of 29 other teams took for granted last season - stadiums at least half full of fans, actual head coaches running their teams, actual assistant coaches behind them, capable long-range shooters, leadership... Not us Nets fans.

We went through 82 games without any of it. Sound like a sob story to you? Well it's not. Just the truth. Go on, argue with what I just said...

... I'll give you a second...

***hold music***

Ok, we're back. Tonight, after having just watched the Nets/Pistons game (I now have clashes with work, preventing me from watching games live during the week but god bless premium International League Pass) I can finally say we've started to even out the playing field.

The stadium, the coach, the staff, the shooters, the leadership - we've got some semblance of all of it.

What does it produce? A comeback win after a 39% shooting in the first half. When was the last time we did that?

We rode the crowd in this one; we had an NBA coach who actually belongs on the sidelines show us the way; we had the lights-out, ice-in-the-veins shooting; we had the on-floor leadership.

I don't care that we beat what will clearly be another awful Pistons team this season. It's irrelevant who we beat in this one.

The point is, we won and won with a purpose. This was no blind luck, fluke victory. This was months in the making. THIS was the beginning of the road back.

Scattered night #1 thoughts:

- T-Mac is playing his last year in the NBA. He's done.

- Dwight may be the better athlete but Brook is by far the better player.

- Devin is Devin again.

- I will absolutely regret us trading Derrick Favors in a Melo deal (if it comes to that)

EPISODE #97: FREE AGENCY MADNESS

In this mammoth episode, we cover [amongst other things]:

- 2010's historic free agency period (what there has been of it so far)

       - Why I've lost so much respect for LeBron James

       - The changes made (so far) to the Nets roster and what they mean for this season

- The performance of the Nets' rookies at the Orlando Summer League

- The Nets' vacant front office position(s)

To listen to this episode or subscribe to the show via iTunes, click here.

Thanks guys!

Oh, and by the way, the show has seen a real spike in audience numbers over the last 3-4 weeks. For those of you who do listen, thank you.

SOURCE: Bosh to join Wade, Heat

"Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are teaming up together on the Miami Heat, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

Whether LeBron James, the kingpin of this summer's celebrated free agent class, will join them remains to be seen. James will announce his decision Thursday night at 9 ET during a one-hour special on ESPN.

Wade and Bosh are expected to announce their decision on Wednesday, according to the source.

James or not, the Heat could emerge as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference with Wade and Bosh aboard. Wade, who led the Heat to the NBA title in 2006, is re-signing with the club, while Bosh will leave the Toronto Raptors after seven years with the club.

Both players are expected to get the maximum amount allowable under the league's collective bargaining agreement, though the addition of James could change the players' salaries. Contracts cannot be officially signed until July 8.

It was not immediately clear whether Bosh will sign with Miami outright or join the Heat through a sign-and-trade deal. Bosh could earn $125 million over six years via sign-and-trade, but only $96 million over five without it.

"Either way, he's definitely going to Miami," the source said."

EPISODE #96: WHAT OFF-SEASON?

In this episode, we cover:

- The 2010 NBA draft (specifically Favors and James)

- The big issue of Rod stepping down (which at the time of recording, I took to be a fait accompli), and just who may be in line to replace him.

- The upcoming free agency bonanza (and LeBron's decision not to go on a "tour", but rather have teams visit him)

To listen to this episode or subscribe to the show via iTunes, click here.

Thanks guys! 

EPISODE #95: NETS SCORE FIRST MAJOR SIGNING OF THE OFF-SEASON

In this episode (the first in about a month), we cover:

- The hiring of Avery Johnson (including a couple of audio grabs) and who may join his staff

- The big decision Rod has ahead of him at the draft - who goes #3?

- The reports that we'll be playing games in London during the next regular season

- Free agency

To listen to this episode or subscribe to the show via iTunes, click here.

Thanks guys!

Ladies, gentlemen... I have a confession to make (that listeners of my show would know).

Hi, my name is Rusty and I'm an Australian, SHOCK! HORROR! lol.

I'm not sure I've ever mentioned this specifically on ND before (mainly because I've never felt it was relevant to any discussion I've contributed to) but now, I think it's time - after discussing the NBA's european (foreign) interests at length.

How did I come to love the Nets you ask? Well it all started around 17 years ago (EDIT: actually 18). My dad was trying to get me hooked on sports - no matter the variety. He was a high school teacher. Every week - Monday after work - he would "borrow" sports-related books and VHS tapes from the library. One VHS he bought home (which I've sadly since lost) contained footage of a bunch of different NBA players, teams, and their backgrounds. For whatever reason, that tape contained footage of DC and Kenny Anderson... as well as this guy with a name I had an enormous amount of trouble with - one Drazen Petrovic. I instantly fell in love. DC's post dominance, Drazen's lights-out shooting, Kenny's.... well just Kenny.

The day I arrived at the IZOD Center (Continental Airlines Arena at the time) on holiday to see the first of my two Nets games there, I was in a sheer state of euphoria. Pity that wasn't to last until even the end of my first game there. Let's just say I have an enormous amount of respect for you former IZOD Center season-ticket-holders.

So, that's my Nets fandom. Actually, one other aspect of it - VC was my favorite player before he joined the Nets. From "that moment" at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, he was my favorite player. The day he joined the Nets, well it's the closest I've probably ever felt to winning the lottery (well, that and watching us actually win the lottery lol). I was in sports heaven. The day we traded him... look, logically I know it was just about the only smart move we could make, but damn... I was nearly inconsolable.

Anyway - back to my initial point. This thread is to call out any and every "foreign" ND member/Nets fan. That is, everyone not born and raised in North America. What's your Nets story? Exactly how did you come to love our team?

"UKNJ", "jackbauerwillsmashurface", "Flashster"... I'm looking at you guys! 

Have we been too harsh on the man? This last season aside - everybody from top to bottom had a season they'll want to forget - what has turned us towards criticizing Devin so much? I know a number of us have done it, I'm just wondering why... is it because we - as a group - have grown frustrated with the way he uses (or mis-uses) his god-given ability? Or, do you think this post is based on nothing and that we've largely been fair with him?

I'm creating this because I'm very curious as to what sort of response it'll invoke. I don't have any pre-conceived notions or anything, just curiosity.

Episodes #93 and #94 have been recorded and released over the last few days. You can check them out here and at the iTunes music store by searching for, and subscribing to, 'The Crossover'.

In episode #93, Pmac and I debate over which team - the Nets or Knicks - has the better chance of lu ring LeBron James to the tri-state area this off-season. We also take a look at the playoffs and look ahead to the draft lottery.

In a "shortened" episode #94, we discuss the draft lottery and what it had in store. As I explain, the 3rd overall pick is hardly the worst case scenario for us Nets fans.

Cheers!

As soon as I saw the Nets logo on the card for the 3rd pick, my heart sank. You could have knocked me over with a feather. I had well and truly let myself believe that we were going to get either Wall or Turner. Truth be told, I was actually too confident of getting Wall - basically ignoring the fact that we only had a 25% chance of getting him, which of course meant a 75% chance of not getting him.

Given that it has been 6 years since a team with the league's worst record has won the lottery, and it has only happened a handful of times since the lottery's inception, I sat up and sniffed the roses.

We're now in the position to choose the best young big in an entire draft class. Doing so would both be drafting on potential AND need. What was our weakest position last season? Almost definitely the four-spot. We now get the chance of taking an 18-year-old Derrick Favors - a kid who's upside is through the roof. Pair him with Brook Lopez and you have what is potentially a contending front court for more than a decade. Given that we won't get the chance of drafting Wall (barring the unforeseen between now and draft night), we also know that Devin Harris is our guy. The uncertainty surrounding that can end. We now have a nucleus - arguably the league's brightest - to sell to free agents and potential coaches alike: Harris, Lopez, Williams, Douglas-Roberts, Favors/Cousins. That's the thing, if we decide not to go for Favors, we go for Cousins instead - a kid who can be eased into the system by sharing the front court load with Brook.

My point is this - there's absolutely no reason to be pessimistic about this. We have the 3rd pick in a draft with a clear top four (five at most), not the 13th pick. We have the opportunity to address arguably our biggest concern, roster-wise.

Hey guys. Episode #92 has just been released. In this one, Pmac and I discuss the playoff picture to date (including the feel good stories of both conferences). We also discuss the awards handed out by the league so far and touch on some Nets news.

If you'd like to check it out...

Here's the iTunes subscription link (also in my sig):

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=268817312

[Unfortunately there's been an issue or two with the iTunes feed... we're currently working on rectifying them]

Here's the direct link to this particular episode:

http://thesportsfans.hipcast.com/download/6183132b-c671-7759-0883-a1c4da246e52.mp3

Hey guys. Episode #91 was released just a few hours ago. In this one, I bid a not-so-fond farewell to the IZOD Center as I recap the Nets’ last ever game at the swamp. I also touch on the latest chapter in the life of international man of mystery, Mikhail Prokhorov. Pmac presents his list of favorite current NBA players, and the two of us then combine to discuss the playoff picture to date.

If you'd like to check it out...

Here's the iTunes subscription link (also in my sig):

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=268817312

Here's the direct link to this particular episode:

http://thesportsfans.hipcast.com/download/60ef6e39-7cbe-eace-785e-932fbd385568.mp3

Hey again guys. NetsDaily very kindly gave me the go-ahead to create a new FanPost once a week to link you all to the show. I hope you guys like it. It is, afterall, the only active Nets podcast out there (to my knowledge).

The latest episode (#90) was released just the other day. In this one, Pmac (my co-host) and I recap all the games played by both the Nets and Knicks since episode #89 - including some solid wins and some suspicious losses. We also talk about a couple of "underrated" Nets and Knicks, David Lee’s first triple-double, the Coach K situation, and finally, dish out some awards.

If you'd like to check it out...

Here's the iTunes subscription link (also in my sig):

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=268817312

(If the link doesn't work, simply search for 'The NBA Crossover' or 'Crossover Nets' in the podcast section of the music store)

Here's the direct link to this particular episode:

http://thesportsfans.hipcast.com/download/c8658c56-a0a7-dfdd-cf72-beaac7f704c6.mp3

Hey guys.

I'm not sure if blatant plugs like this are allowed, but I'm hoping they are - if only just this once.

For those of you who don't know and have never listened to it, I co-host a podcast called 'The Crossover' (circa. 2007). It focuses on the fortunes (and mis-fortunes) of both the Nets and Knicks. I handle the Nets side of things, with my buddy Pmac focussing on the Knicks. We both despise each other's teams and mock them mercilessly. We release weekly episodes of about 90 minutes in length. Currently, about 2,500 people download (and hopefully listen!) to each edition. Both Pmac and myself consistently plug 'Posting and Toasting' and 'NetsDaily'.

If you'd like to check it out...

Here's the iTunes subscription link (also in my sig):

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=268817312

(If the link doesn't work, simply search for 'The NBA Crossover' or 'Crossover Nets' in the podcast section of the music store)

Thanks, and I promise this is my last self-promotional FanPost lol. 

On behalf of all the regular readers/posters, let me be the first to say congrats on the new digs. I can only imagine how much of a job the conversion was, but it seems to have worked a treat. I've read/replied to a few other SBN blogs in the past and I know how affective the links between the different team blogs can be.

Thanks for pulling what is seemingly an all-nighter just to get things in order ASAP. I'm sure I'm not just speaking for myself when I say it's much appreciated.

Here's to the continued success of the site.