Hey, Nets fans, smile. Sure, you root for a franchise that annually sees more serious injuries than the staff at ER and has won exactly one playoff series since Julius Erving left town. But you've got Jason Kidd now! Kenyon Martin has game, the coach and GM are committed to winning. And the Knicks aren't that great. Rejoice! A new beginning can't be as bad as the past.

	Martin looked good over the summer and the Nets are hopeful of big things.

So as we continue our 2001 Summer Spotlight Series, here's the deal with the Nets.

The good: When Kidd was traded for Stephon Marbury, it signalled a new start for both the Nets and Suns. While Marbury is a big-time scorer, he's also selfish and his resume of winning something is bare. When the deal was made the consensus was that the Nets did well, getting the best passer in the league. The Suns parted with the "bad eggs," and Kidd had a spousal abuse accusation. In Kidd, the Nets get a team player who on the court is a joy.

Problem is that Kidd has been exclusively a Western Conference player, on run-and-gun teams, and the Nets aren't exactly a team of finishers. We can see him running the break and having Todd MacCulloch fumble a pass into the stands. But in terms of winning, the Nets are better this way. Now Kidd just needs help.

The jury is out on the rest of the Nets, even Keith Van Horn, who gets his points but doesn't shoot well at all, and defense to him is the enemy. Van Horn still has not developed the way many thought he would. With his size and shooting ability he should do more than 19.3 points and 7.7 rebounds, his career averages. Then again, he finally has a point guard willing to set him up, so Van Horn might be a good bet to up his numbers significantly, kind of like Shawn Marion did for Phoenix.

Martin didn't approach stats worthy of the top pick in the draft, but he should also improve this season. A power player at only 6-9, he will block shot and rebound and when he gets a pet shot or move he has 15 and 10 written all over him.

	THE FACTS
	2000-01 record: 26-56, sixth in Atlantic, 12th in East Playoffs: none Team leaders: Marbury 23.9 ppg, 7.6 apg; Martin 7.4 rpg Team stats (NBA rank): Points, 92.1 (23rd); Rebs, 39.6 (28th); FG %, .425 (26th) Current rotation: MacCulloch C; Martin PF; Van Horn SF; Kittles/Harris SG; Kidd PG; Williams 6th man Spot in Summer Power Rankings: No. 22

The bad: On an average starting 5, the Nets are weakest at center and shooting guard, but both those positions could surprise. The health of Kerry Kittles is a major concern at the two-spot, where the Nets were lacking a year ago. Kittles missed the season rehabbing from the fourth knee surgery of his career. A capable scorer and defender when healthy, Kittles is a question mark. The other shooting guard of note -- and new coach Byron Scott claims he might start -- is Lucious Harris, a throw-in in the Philly-Van Horn deal due to contract reasons. Harris has two years and $5 million left on his deal.

The other variable is MacCulloch, who in limited time in Philly did fine, but somehow parlayed his career averages of 4 points and 2.6 boards into a six-year deal worth -- gasp -- $33.75 million. But hey, he's no Jim McIlvaine. In some fairness, the new Big Mac has good hands and he's big, but get out the egg timer when they run the 100-yard dash in drills.

The ugly: Nets president Rod Thorn had better hope that tough guy Eddie Griffin, the enigmatic Seton Hall shotblocking fool who went No. 7 to Jersey, doesn't become a star. Saddled with little depth, the Nets used their high pick on the kid from their backyard, then dealt him to Houston for three later first-rounders in Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins and Brandon Armstrong. Did they get depth? Sure they did. Might Jefferson, an athletic finisher who thrives in the open court, be perfect with Kidd?

Possibly, but from an image standpoint, the Nets really need a change of direction, and having Griffin be a star will really hurt. Not to belabor the point, but there isn't any recent success here to build upon. In John Calipari's second year the team slipped into the postseason and was swept by Michael Jordan. Before that Chuck Daly got the boys to the playoffs twice and Bill Fitch once -- the memorable Sam Bowie-Derrick Coleman-Drazen Petrovic years -- but never advanced.

The Nets haven't been the worst team in the league the last few years, but one can make a strong case they have been the unluckiest. Jayson Williams may not have been a true center, but he could have led the league in rebounding for years to come. His degenerative knee forced retirement. Kittles was generally healthy until he became a Net. Van Horn, Kendall Gill, Jamie Feick, McIlvaine ... it's ugly. Mr. Kidd, make sure you have good health insurance.

Heck, you can even make the case they picked one of the worst years to be rewarded with the No. 1 pick in the draft, too. Martin was the best player of a weak lot, in a draft where there were certainly no Vince Carters or Paul Pierces at the top, let alone to be slipping down.

The future: You can't say the Nets have a great future -- we're not sure anyone has ever uttered these words. However, if healthy, this team will improve on last season and, even though we've said this for quite a few average Eastern teams, the playoffs aren't completely out of the question. The Nets were bad last season, but they were 9-14 at one point and did show signs ... ah, who are we kidding. They're bad.

Do the Nets have potential to win half their games. Sure, if Kidd does his normal triple-double routine, Kittles and Harris can be a suitable threat as a shooting guard tandem, Van Horn becomes a 22-10 guy, Martin is a 15-10 player and MacCulloch is good enough to earn 30 minutes a night. That's a lot to ask. If there are injuries then Aaron Williams, a smart signing who can back up in the frontcourt, will play more. Plus, they have four rookies -- the three in the Griffin deal and Brian Scalabrine -- and maybe a few will work out.

If you're a long-suffering Nets fan, you have to believe.

So we asked you this question about the Nets: The Kidd-for-Marbury deal will change the look of the Nets, but who else will step up?

Check the file to the right for selected responses.

Eric Karabell is ESPN.com's NBA editor.