Nets-Heat Postscript and a Brief Look Ahead

              If their season opening loss was to Cleveland  an example of what could go wrong for the Nets, Friday's win over the defending champs was an example of how it could be special. Paul Pierce for all the consternation about his age, looked like a go-to guy not only on offense with 19 points but on defense guarding LeBron in the game's key moments. The bench built by Billy King was a huge factor as well. Much was made in the post game discussion that six Nets had played nearly 20 minutes but the most important bench time may have been the 11 and change played by Andrei Kirilenko, who gave the Nets a greater opportunity to switch on LeBron and Wade playing power forward and gave the Nets offense a boost with his passing and movement without the ball. The defensive versatility provided by Kirilenkko and Allen Anderson, whose plus minus number (-14) might not look good but who made many heady plays and several key baskets, is what gives the Nets the ability to adjust when teams try and counter their size with a smaller and quicker lineup. More good news from the bench came in the person of Andray Blarche who overcame a difficult first five quarters of the season  to give the Nets the kind of production and mobility at center they will need from him throughout the season. Tonight against Orlando thy face a team that's very much like the Cleveland club that beat them to open the season. While they don't have a guy that can match Kyrie Irving's penetration and passing the Magic have a roster full of terrific young athletes and a heavy New York area presence that includes starting forward Moe Harkless (Forrest Hills HS and St. John's) along with reserves Kyle O'Quiinn (Campus Magnet) Tobias Harris (Half Hollow Hills West) and Doron Lamb (Bishop Loughlin). The Nets will find, as they did against the Cabs, a road test against a team that is improving steadily.