The Nets need Rafer Alston to pick up his game to build up some trade value. He has played in 27 games (13 starts) for the Nets this season and he is averaging 28.4 minutes, 9.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.0 steal per game. Alston needs to start shooting better or the Nets are going to be stuck with him all season. He is only shooting 34.3% from the floor and 32.2% from three point range so far this season. If Alston doesn’t start playing better the Nets will likely to continue cutting his playing time.

UPDATE: The Nets have bought out the rest of Rafer Alston’s contract making him a free agent.

Bostjan Nachbar was outstanding off of the bench last season for the Nets but he hasn’t been as sharp this season. The Nets need his shooting off of the bench to give the team’s second unit some scoring ooomph. He has played in 29 games this season for the Nets and he is averaging 22.4 minutes, 10.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. His shooting must improve or he might start to lose playing time as he’s only shooting 39.4% from the floor and 30.8% from three point range so far this season.

Antoine Wright has not played well in December and the Nets need him to play better. Wright has played in 4 games (1 start) in December and he has averaged 27.0 minutes, 6.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. Wright is also only shooting 32.3% from the floor and that is unacceptable. If he doesn’t start shooting better soon his minutes will start to diminish.

Nenad Krstic and Jamaal Magloire were being counted on to start at center and power forward for the Nets but they have been replaced due to poor play. Krstic has only played in 12 games this season and he’s only averaging 15.0 minutes, 4.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game. He also is shooting a pathetic 32.9% from the floor and he will likely continue to lose playing time until he starts playing better. Jamaal Magloire has been even worse this season. He has played in only 10 games this season and he’s averaged 13.6 minutes, 1.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. He is only shooting 18.5% from the floor so far this season and that’s flat out awful when you consider most of his shots come from close range.

The Nets need Cliff Robinson and Marcus Williams to get their butts into gear with the playoffs approaching.  Robinson has played in 3 games this month and he’s only averaging 3.3 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.  He also is only shooting 33.3% from the floor.  The Nets will need Robinson to give them good minutes in the playoffs if they have any hope of an upset in the first round.  Rookie Marcus Williams has been really stinking it up this month and he’ll need to improve his play or he won’t get much PT in the playoffs.  He’s played in 4 games this month and he’s averaging 3.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.  He only is shooting 26.1% from the floor this month and unless he shoots better than that, he will be sitting on the bench a lot in the near future.