--Coach Lawrence Frank lost two assistants when Pat Sullivan returned to Detroit to join Michael Curry's staff and Bill Cartwright left New Jersey to climb aboard Terry Porter's staff in Phoenix.
The Nets filled one of the vacancies, hiring 11-season NBA point guard Doug Overton, who did three different tours with the Nets. Overton had spent the previous two seasons as an assistant on the college level, with Phil Martelli at St. Joseph's in Philadelphia. Overton was director of player development for the Sixers for one season, prior to working at St. Joe's. Overton, who played for the Nets in 1998-99, 2000-01 and 2003-04 as part of his seven-team career, joined Nets assistants Brian Hill and Tom Barrise on Frank's staff.
--Nets ownership scored a major victory in the quest to move to Brooklyn, and the win came in the Supreme Court.
The nation's highest court rejected an appeal from property owners and tenants facing eviction in the development of Nets owner Bruce Ratner's $4 billion Atlantic Yards project. The legal challenge over eminent domain argued the project benefits the developer -- not the public -- but the Supreme Court refused to hear the arguments. Ratner wants commercial and residential development on the Atlanta Yards site, which would be anchored by an 18,000-seat arena to house the Nets, presumably in 2010-11.
In a statement, Ratner said, "We believe, and the courts have repeatedly agreed, that Atlantic Yards provides significant public benefits including thousands of affordable homes and much needed jobs for Brooklyn. We are gratified that the Supreme Court has decided to put an end to this lawsuit. The opponents have now lost 20 court decisions relating to Atlantic Yards and we are now one step closer to making these benefits a reality."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "My feeling is with Yi's upside, it was something we had to look at: a 20-year-old kid with his skill set. We feel he has a big future." -- Team president Rod Thorn on Yi Jianlian, whom the Nets obtained for the team's 2007-08 leading scorer, Richard Jefferson.
