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A dogfight is brewing in the Eastern Conference. "There could be as many as five teams battling for the last two playoff spots," an East scout said. "It's going to come down to the final week of the season, and the winners are only going to be separated by a couple of games."

One of those teams, presumably, is the New Jersey Nets. It was a productive offseason in the Meadowlands. President Rod Thorn ended months of suspense when he re-signed Vince Carter to a four-year, $61.8 million contract, added much-needed bulk in center Jamaal Magloire (who, by virtue of signing a one-year, prove-yourself-or-else deal, is virtually guaranteed to have a strong season) and drafted athletic power forward Sean Williams, who has Theo Ratliff-like potential -- albeit with Ron Artest-like maturity.

Thorn also handed coach Lawrence Frank a two-year, $8.6 million contract extension, ensuring that there will be some stability at the top. In an effort to facilitate more ball movement (i.e., avoid having Carter dribble away the shot clock), Frank has altered the offense, reinstituting some of the principles of the Princeton motion schemes that were so successful in New Jersey during their back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals in 2001 and '02.

Though the aforementioned moves were certainly done in the team's overall best interests, they also have gone a long way toward pacifying Jason Kidd, who told me recently that he wants to finish his career in a Nets uniform.
With all that in mind, I sat down with Frank after a recent Nets practice.

SI.com: How much did losing center Nenad Krstic to a knee injury last season hurt the team?

Frank: Well, Curly was off to a great start offensively. He was making a natural progression off the strong year he had in [2005-06]. We were actually fortunate that Mikki [Moore] stepped up. But Curly was also a low-post presence, and we didn't have that. He has an array of moves that help us. At times we get a little perimeter-oriented, and having him takes pressure off our guards. He's really worked this summer, too. He's got a little bit of an unorthodox post game. He's able to pivot off either foot. He's become a little bit more dimensional in that he has worked on his off hand. Before he was pretty much a right-handed-dominant player. He's going to be a little bit harder to guard.

SI.com: Are there things you took out of your playbook as a result of losing Krstic?

Frank: There were some things, sure. Our pick-and-roll game wasn't as effective without him. Our spacing wasn't as good without him because when he is on the post, he can step back and make shots. Little tweaks, but stuff we notice. That said, we're not going to rush to bring him back. It would be great to have him for opening night, but not at the risk of getting hurt again.

SI.com: You have been hearing for years that the Nets need size. How does adding Magloire and Williams upgrade the team?

Frank: The perception of us was that we're not athletic up front. Sean gives us athleticism, but Sean is a rookie and he wasn't the first pick in the draft. Jamaal isn't athletic, but he brings some toughness. Look, when there is a salary cap and a luxury tax, you can't get the best of everything. Obviously, Kidd, Carter and [Richard] Jefferson get the bulk of the money. That's how the league is. You're going to be top-heavy or you are going to have balance -- a lot of guys making $5-$7 million, like Memphis was a couple of years ago.

SI.com: Your guards have been among your better rebounders over the years. Do the additions and Krstic's return take any pressure off them?

Frank: You have to look at it two ways. When Jason gets a rebound, we don't need to pass the ball to start the fast break. The other thing is our bigs sacrifice; they block out all the time. One of the things we hang our hat on is that we don't give up a lot of second-chance opportunities. So the defensive-rebounding numbers for our big men aren't gaudy, but they do block out.

SI.com: Are there concerns about the off-the-court baggage Williams brings with him [Williams was charged with marijuana possession as a freshman at Boston College and was dismissed from the team last season after violating team rules]?

Frank: You can't ignore it. As an organization, we put together an action plan and we have to stay committed to it. We want to provide an environment where he can grow and learn what it takes to be a mature adult.