Friday, February 23, 2007 BY DAVE D'ALESSANDRO Star-Ledger Staff In the end, it came down to this: Rebuilding is for the other guy, but not Rod Thorn. The Nets never let go of a superstar, or a role player, or their goal of becoming an elite team again as the final opportunity to make trades passed yesterday, when their chief executive saw no other alternative but to stand pat. "Our focus is, we want to be as good as we can every year. We think that's important," the Nets president said yesterday, dismissing the notion of scrapping the current group -- including the team's two stars on the wrong side of 30, Jason Kidd and Vince Carter -- and starting anew. "We've had a time to build a tradition here the last five or six years, and we want to try to maintain it as best we can. Without using it as any crutch whatsoever -- because a lot of teams have had injuries -- we've been without our second- and third-leading scorers (Richard Jefferson and Nenad Krstic) for quite some time, and obviously that's taken a toll on our team. "You have to be cognizant of that when you assess where your team is, and what your team can do. You have to look at it and assume (it would improve) when everybody is reasonably healthy." That's his spin, and he's sticking to it. And even though the ship might be headed for the rocks at 25-30, Thorn said holding on to Kidd and Carter sends a message to the team's fan base that the Nets will try to make a push for a playoff spot. "I would think we're saying we're not giving up on the season, No. 1," he said. "And that our team could be a very good team going forward." The inaction wasn't entirely unexpected, as Thorn had anticipating very little reshuffling of his roster over the past two weeks despite having the instinct to pursue a trade of Kidd, whose value will never be higher; or of Carter, who can opt out of his contract this summer. And the fact that he didn't make a move -- which would automatically trigger a rebuilding process -- surprised none of his peers. Bryan Colangelo's reaction was typical: "I doubt, knowing the competitive spirit that Rod Thorn has, that he was ever going to go into that fire-sale mode," the Toronto president said yesterday." ... Knowing Rod, at the end of the day, he fully intends to try to catch the Toronto Raptors." And Thorn couldn't do that by trading either Kidd or Carter. "We had conversations with a whole bunch of people in the last three or four days, and I can't say we ever got close to doing anything," Thorn said. Kidd was the most sought-after player since the trade market opened in earnest, but after weeks of speculation that the Lakers, Warriors and others were willing to pay the price to extract him from the Nets, no offer came close. And just to illustrate how little regard the rest of the league seemingly has for Carter, Orlando general manager Otis Smith drove home a dagger yesterday. "I wouldn't give up a 21-year-old big man for a 30-year-old guard," Smith told Florida Today, referring to rumors of a swap involving Darko Milicic and Carter. "... I'm not going to take a step back and fall for what I call fool's gold. It shines and it glitters, but it just doesn't stick or pass the test." Numerous general managers and coaches have said similar things without attribution about Carter but few have ever publicly disrespected his game. Thorn's response: "I have no comment on that." For now, however, that's all background music -- at least until the Nets play Orlando again March 23. For now, the Nets are going to try to convince their increasingly skeptical fan base that this season is still salvageable. One thing that could make a difference is that the trade deadline is no longer hanging over the them. "It's as much of a distraction as you allow it to be," said Lawrence Frank, whose team tries to end a three-game losing streak tonight against Sacramento. Notes: Kidd did not take part in practice yesterday, ostensibly to rest his sore back, nor did he address the media. The Nets confirmed they concealed that their most important player has been playing with a cracked rib, but claimed it has not affected his game and that his 2-for-14 performance Wednesday was a mere coincidence. Frank spelled out the franchise's policy of truth manipulation -- especially around the trade deadline -- by stating, "We're not going to divulge every nick, knack, bruise, bump if it's not preventing the guy from playing." ... With his left knee wrapped in a cumbersome contraption, 这边有关於KRSTIC的消息 Krstic took foul shots yesterday under the supervision of rehab specialist M att Gibble. All is well, the center said. When asked whether he's on a treadmill, he replied, "No -- just bike. I'm soft, you know. ... I lost a couple pounds, that's good for me. I didn't get fat." ... Carter, on the injury to Dwyane Wade, who might miss a month with a shoulder separation: "It's definitely a great opportunity. But we still have to win games. If we don't win games, we're just missing a great opportunity." Dave D'Alessandro may be reached at [email protected] --

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