--C Josh Boone had one of the more frightening moments in pre-season when he felt a rapid heartbeat on Oct. 17. Tests found nothing bothersome and doctors attempted, without success, to reproduce the condition -- which was a very positive thing. "They were never able to actually get it to reproduce, which is a good sign," said Boone who will at times wear a monitor. "Hopefully, it's not going to happen again." Boone was the Nets' starting center.

--F Sean Williams was the early star of training camp as everyone raved about his play. Players and coaches tabbed him as a standout. Then when the season began, he found himself out of the rotation on a young team with an abundance of big bodies. "I'm going to work hard regardless. I want to be the best teammate I can be. I'm going to push my teammates to be the best they can be in practice, in games," Williams said.

--F Jarvis Hayes was out for much of the pre-season with a strained hamstring. He missed weeks of practice and all but one game. But he insisted he wasn't worried. "I have a niche," he claimed. And he showed it in the season opener. Hayes came off the bench and scored 14 points, sticking 6-of-9 shots, including two big jumpers in the fourth quarter of the Nets' 95-85 win at Washington.

MEDICAL WATCH

--F Eduardo Najera (sore left wrist) has not had full-contact practice since the Nets were in Paris in early October. Najera originally sprained his left wrist and then re-injured it in Paris. He hopes to resume contact practice this week.

--F Trenton Hassell (inner ear infection) did not travel with the team to Washington for the season opener because he could not fly with his illness. He is day-to-day.

--F Stromile Swift (bruised lower back) has been inactive since taking a nasty fall in practice on Oct. 17. There is no word on when he will return.