Tuesday, April 03, 2007 BY DAVE D'ALESSANDRO Star-Ledger Staff Antoine Wright, whom opponents decided isn't worth guarding about 1,000 jump shots ago, found himself alone on the deep wing during the second quarter Saturday night, 21 feet from the basket. Everyone on the Sixers watched him -- almost all of them with indifferent expressions -- and not a single defender saw the need to tighten up his air space. Wright looked over the defense in a millisecond, gave it a mental shrug, and took one stride to his right for a one-dribble pull-up from 18 feet on the baseline. It swished. "I had to (get closer)," the Nets' second-year wing said. "Coach is not going to criticize that shot. If it was a 3, he might be a little disappointed. But I get it in my range and knock it down, that's what he expects me to do." In that one, brief shining moment from the Nets' 86-82 victory, Wright showed that he is growing up -- which is good timing, given that his minutes figure to climb with Eddie House sidelined. For too long he has settled for the shots that opponents want him to take, rather than look for the ones he knows are best for him. For too long, he has been a floater -- by his own admission -- because he allows his shooting efficiency to influence the rest of his game. And for too long, he has been an afterthought, after predicting he would be a rotation mainstay during the preseason. "When you're out there floating and not impacting the game, it's easy for you not to be needed," Wright said after his 12-point performance, only his third double-digit scoring game since Nov. 20. "If I get out there I have to contribute right away in order to stay out there." Lawrence Frank has always trusted him as a defender. The coach had used him lately as a situational defender, even in crunch time, but the Nets need more. They need Wright to salvage what has been a disappointing season, and he took a good step with his 19-minute stint against Philly, which included some strong defense on Kyle Korver (4-for-14). "It's important for me to get it done while I'm out there," Wright said. "And if I'm out there, that's all I can ask for -- I'm just going to be aggressive and make something happen. That's pretty much been my job all along." And even when he lost his job, he didn't complain about it. "He's been a professional the whole season," Mikki Moore said. "One thing I'm proud of him for doing is, whenever he gets his number called, he's ready to play," Vince Carter said after Saturday's game. "And doing what needs to be done. He was huge tonight. Hopefully that confidence is not only from himself but from the coaching staff by putting him back in the rotation." Wright's confidence comes and goes with his jumper touch, however. That has to change, and he knows it. "Being up and down with the minutes is (another) reason why your confidence goes up and down," he said. "You don't know if you're out there for five minutes, two minutes. But when I'm open, I have to shoot it regardless. If I make it or miss it. I have to shoot it." Dave D'Alessandro may be reached at [email protected] http://0rz.tw/3a2vh --

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