Dein erstes Forum » The Nets and their roster worth nearly $200

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Jason Kidds shirt read "GOLF," which he said was more random wardrobe choice than upcoming itinerary. He has plenty of time for that hobby with his first season as an NBA coach over, but it wont be all fun for the Brooklyn Nets this off-season. Not with the potential for surgery for Deron Williams and decisions to make for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, who infused the Nets with a winners mentality when they came from Boston last summer. The Nets and their roster worth nearly $200 million in salaries and taxes couldnt reach their lofty expectations, falling to the Miami Heat in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. But they surpassed where it appeared they were headed after a 10-21 start and the season-ending loss of All-Star centre Brook Lopez. So even facing some big questions, they like where they sit. "I do think weve got Brooklyn being a place where players want to play and weve got a coach that players want to play for," general manager Billy King said. "I think we play a good style, so I dont look at it as the sky is falling as much weve got some assets and things to do and well work at it." Pierce will be a free agent and showed he can still provide a team with scoring punch at 36. Garnetts game is further gone as he prepares to turn 38 next week. He remains a strong defender and team leader, but averaged a career-low 6.5 points in 54 games, missing a large chunk of the season with back spasms and playing just 20.5 minutes per game as Kidd tried to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Garnett has a year and $12 million remaining on his contract, and the Nets want him back. King said he told Garnett to take some time when they spoke on the plane ride home from Miami, but Kidd realizes Garnett will have to consider walking away from guaranteed money, just as he did when he retired last season. "Hes done it for a long time at a very high level and the biggest thing and concerns that Ive talked to him about is you dont want to leave with someone carrying you off the court," Kidd said. "I mean, its 19 or 20 years that hell been playing and also being judged on what youve done, or some people holding you to where if you were 25, which can be unfair at times. But thats just part of the gig, so hes got to make a decision, but the big thing is we want him back because we understand the importance that he brings to this franchise." Neither Pierce nor Garnett spoke when the Nets met with reporters at their practice facility. Andrei Kirilenko, Andray Blatche and Alan Anderson all have player options on their contracts. Shaun Livingston will be a free agent, having to decide if hes found a home with the Nets, or if he can get the lucrative payday that once seemed a cinch but never came after the former No. 4 overall pick wrecked his knee in his third NBA season. Then theres Jason Collins, who became the NBAs first openly gay player when he signed with the Nets in February. He said he doesnt know what his basketball plans are, but he will have far better and more influential options than being a 35-year-old backup centre. "My goal right now is to empower others and also support those like Derrick Gordon, Michael Sam, Robbie Rogers, and over the next months, years, whoever else joins that list of out, active players," Collins said. Williams plans to have an MRI on his ankles that have slowed him the last two seasons and he may end up surgically repairing them in hopes of relocating his game and his confidence. "It just took a beating on me," the two-time Olympian said. "Just couldnt do what I wanted to, cant finish the way I want to finish. You just start thinking about things. So that was just the main thing. Confidence-wise, its hard to get back to where I was." If he gets back to form, Lopez does as well after surgeries on his broken right foot and left ankle, and Pierce and Garnett return, the Nets believe they will be fine next season. After two years of roster and coaching changes, King thinks the Nets biggest need might just be continuity. "Next season, we pick up right where we left off!" owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in a statement. Cheap Saucony Shoes Australia . With the win, the Marlies complete a three-game series sweep of the Admirals and move on to the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs. T.J. Brennan added an empty netter with less than 25 seconds remaining for his second of the playoffs. Saucony Shoes Outlet . Its the games against the leagues struggling franchises that have proved to be an issue. http://www.cheapsauconyaustralia.com/ Saucony Shoes Clearance . Watching them over the past year - and in some cases, two years - has given us a starting point for this seasons Craigs List. Saucony Shoes Factory Outlet . Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon; a brief, poor outing that served to highlight two trends that have developed this season.DUBLIN, Ohio -- Bubba Watson has been coming to Muirfield Village ever since his rookie year on the PGA Tour. Nine years later, he might have finally figured it out. He had only five rounds in the 60s in his previous eight trips. Even with a bogey on his final hole Saturday, he had a 3-under 69 for his third straight round in the 60s this week. Watson is 11 under on the par 5s, the key to scoring. Best of all, he walked off the course with a one-shot lead over Scott Langley in the Memorial. Not bad for a guy who has never finished better than a tie for 23rd. "Its all about maturity," Watson said. "Thinking around the golf course a lot better -- its my ninth year on tour, so better thinking on the golf course is creating better shots. Hitting a lot more greens. Hitting a lot more fairways. Putting a little better this year. When you add all that up, it turns into better scores. Watson was at 12-under 204 and in position for his third win of the year. "I have a shot," Watson said. "Id like the same score tomorrow and let the boys beat me if they can beat me." Plenty of them should have a chance. With a bogey on the final hole, Watsons lead shrunk to one shot over Langley, who had a 67 to make it an all-southpaw final pairing Sunday. Langley has not been in the final group since his rookie debut two years ago in Honolulu. The most famous Lefty, Phil Mickelson, had a 72 and was 10 shots out of the lead while coping with reports he is involved in a federal investigation of insider trading. Mickelson confirmed that FBI agents approached him after the first round this week. Otherwise, he went about his business on the golf course. "Its not going to change the way I carry myself," Mickelson said. "Honestly, Ive done nothing wrong. Im not going to walk around any other way." Hideki Matsuyama of Japan made birdie on his last hole for a 69 and was two shots behind. Adam Scott, the No. 1 player in the world and coming off a win at the Colonial last week, made eagle on the 15th that sparked another surge up the leaderboard. With a bogey on the last hole, he had a 68 and still was only three shots behind. "Its going to be tough," Scott said about his three-shot deficit to the MMasters champion.dddddddddddd "Hes playing great this year, and I just have to post a number. Im in a good position where I can possibly post a number, and that makes life a little harder for the leader." The 36-hole leader had a tough enough time. Paul Casey, who started Saturday with a three-shot lead. That was gone in three holes when Watson made a pair of birdie, and Casey missed more than his share of putts that keep rounds together. He ended with a double bogey for a 76. He still was in range, however, part of a large group at 8-under 208 that included Jordan Spieth (67), Charl Schwartzel (67) and Byron Nelson winner Brendon Todd (69). Watson already has won at Riviera and Augusta National this year. He has tried to make it a point of keeping golf fun -- Bubba Golf, he likes to call it -- instead of getting wrapped up in expectations. His performance on the par 5s took a slight hit on the 11th hole when his drive found the water, he chose to lay up because of the front hole location and missed his 12-foot par putt. He followed by missing birdie chances of 7 feet on the 13th hole and 3 1/2 feet on the 14th hole, a chance to build some separation. But he rolled in a 12-foot birdie on the 15th and was back in control until the 18th. Watson pulled his approach well right of the green, and his chip ran through the green and into the fringe against the collar. Using a fairway metal to chip, it appeared that the club moved his ball before the stroke, though Watson says he didnt touch it and television replays made it clear that the ball didnt leave its position. Langley doesnt hit the ball as long as Watson. His game is about efficiency and control, and he has shown that by taking a streak of 40 straight holes without a bogey into the final round. Much like Watson, he saw the simple pleasures of a round at Muirfield Village. "Any time you shoot in the 60s here, pretty happy about it," Langley said. "Tough place." Langley grew up in the Midwest and went to school at Illinois. He has played plenty in the Columbus area in college and says he "never cracked an egg" whether he was at the Scarlett Course at Ohio State or Scioto. The good news for Langley? Muirfield Village is in Dublin. ' ' '