NBA

Nets on pace for big season despite up-and-down first half

MINNEAPOLIS — It has been an eventful first half of the inaugural season in Brooklyn for the Nets, to say the least.

After opening the season 11-4, including an overtime win over the arch-rival Knicks, and helping Avery Johnson earn Eastern Conference Coach of the Month honors in November, the Nets suddenly cratered in December, culminating in Johnson’s firing after the team had lost 10 out of 13 games.

But then, after the Nets replaced Johnson with his top assistant, P.J. Carlesimo, the team has taken off once again. The Nets have gone 11-2 under their interim coach, including 9-1 in January, with Monday’s 88-85 victory over the Knicks at the Garden putting the Nets at 25-16 — exactly on pace to win 50 games — at the season’s halfway mark.

“Obviously we love the November and January team, and the December we had to improve,” Carlesimo said after Monday’s win.

“I love where we’re at, at the halfway point, but we’ve got to continue to build [on it].”

As the Nets prepare to tip off the second half of their season tonight as they begin a three-game road trip against the Timberwolves, the most important thing they have to build on is the rejuvenation of Deron Williams since Carlesimo took over in late December.

Over the last 13 games, Williams has seen his shooting improve dramatically, hitting just under 39 percent of his 3-point attempts after shooting under 30 percent during the season’s first two months. And after being up-front during his struggles early on this season, Williams is understandably happy about the way he and his team are playing now.

“I told you [at the time] I felt like I was a big part of why we were losing,” Williams said after finishing with 14 points and 12 assists in Monday’s win. “Our focus has been a lot better, our energy and enthusiasm has been a lot better.

“We’re playing well right now, and that’s the most important thing. We’ll try to forget about what happened in December, and just keep going.”

It’s not just Williams, though, as the Nets enter the second half of the season on a roll, finally seeing their trio of top scoring options — Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez — beginning to grow comfortable with one another.

And, armed with recent wins over the Thunder, Pacers and Knicks, the Nets hope their recent momentum can carry over to the second half of the season as they try to meet the expectations placed on them before the season by owner Mikhail Prokhorov, who said a realistic goal for this group was to make the Eastern Conference Finals.

“I like the direction we’re headed in,” Gerald Wallace said. “I’ll put it like that. I have a positive outlook on our future and what we want to do as far as getting to the playoffs and competing in the playoffs.

“The guys are starting to come together, starting to know their roles. Our rotations are getting better, guys are starting to fill in and play big minutes for us, and I think the direction we’re headed in is something that I like.”

The Nets announced yesterday rookies Tyshawn Taylor and Tornike Shengelia had been assigned to the Springfield Armor, the team’s D-League affiliate. Both are expected to be in uniform for Thursday’s game against Maine in Springfield.

That means neither will be available tonight, with the earliest they could be back in uniform being Friday in Memphis.