there will definitely be a big week of preparation coming into it

EAST RUTHERFORD, N. Wholesale College Jerseys .J. -- Jason Kidds shirt read "GOLF," which he said was more random wardrobe choice than upcoming itinerary. He has plenty of time for that hobby with his first season as an NBA coach over, but it wont be all fun for the Brooklyn Nets this off-season. Not with the potential for surgery for Deron Williams and decisions to make for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, who infused the Nets with a winners mentality when they came from Boston last summer. The Nets and their roster worth nearly $200 million in salaries and taxes couldnt reach their lofty expectations, falling to the Miami Heat in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. But they surpassed where it appeared they were headed after a 10-21 start and the season-ending loss of All-Star centre Brook Lopez. So even facing some big questions, they like where they sit. "I do think weve got Brooklyn being a place where players want to play and weve got a coach that players want to play for," general manager Billy King said. "I think we play a good style, so I dont look at it as the sky is falling as much weve got some assets and things to do and well work at it." Pierce will be a free agent and showed he can still provide a team with scoring punch at 36. Garnetts game is further gone as he prepares to turn 38 next week. He remains a strong defender and team leader, but averaged a career-low 6.5 points in 54 games, missing a large chunk of the season with back spasms and playing just 20.5 minutes per game as Kidd tried to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Garnett has a year and $12 million remaining on his contract, and the Nets want him back. King said he told Garnett to take some time when they spoke on the plane ride home from Miami, but Kidd realizes Garnett will have to consider walking away from guaranteed money, just as he did when he retired last season. "Hes done it for a long time at a very high level and the biggest thing and concerns that Ive talked to him about is you dont want to leave with someone carrying you off the court," Kidd said. "I mean, its 19 or 20 years that hell been playing and also being judged on what youve done, or some people holding you to where if you were 25, which can be unfair at times. But thats just part of the gig, so hes got to make a decision, but the big thing is we want him back because we understand the importance that he brings to this franchise." Neither Pierce nor Garnett spoke when the Nets met with reporters at their practice facility. Andrei Kirilenko, Andray Blatche and Alan Anderson all have player options on their contracts. Shaun Livingston will be a free agent, having to decide if hes found a home with the Nets, or if he can get the lucrative payday that once seemed a cinch but never came after the former No. 4 overall pick wrecked his knee in his third NBA season. Then theres Jason Collins, who became the NBAs first openly gay player when he signed with the Nets in February. He said he doesnt know what his basketball plans are, but he will have far better and more influential options than being a 35-year-old backup centre. "My goal right now is to empower others and also support those like Derrick Gordon, Michael Sam, Robbie Rogers, and over the next months, years, whoever else joins that list of out, active players," Collins said. Williams plans to have an MRI on his ankles that have slowed him the last two seasons and he may end up surgically repairing them in hopes of relocating his game and his confidence. "It just took a beating on me," the two-time Olympian said. "Just couldnt do what I wanted to, cant finish the way I want to finish. You just start thinking about things. So that was just the main thing. Confidence-wise, its hard to get back to where I was." If he gets back to form, Lopez does as well after surgeries on his broken right foot and left ankle, and Pierce and Garnett return, the Nets believe they will be fine next season. After two years of roster and coaching changes, King thinks the Nets biggest need might just be continuity. "Next season, we pick up right where we left off!" owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in a statement. Cheap NCAA Jerseys China . Playing in his fourth major league game, Polanco broke a tie in the 13th inning with his first homer, helping Pittsburgh to an 8-6 victory over the Miami Marlins after the Pirates had a ninth-inning meltdown. Cheap NCAA Jerseys . -- Ryan Gropp scored in overtime as the Seattle Thunderbirds shut out the Spokane Chiefs 1-0 in Western Hockey League play Tuesday. https://www.cheapncaajerseysjustwholesale.com/ . After making his All-Star debut in Fridays Rising Stars Challenge, the Raptors sophomore centre wont be sticking around for the duration of the weekends festivities, thinking about the big picture instead.CLEVELAND -- Two long days ended on a positive note for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Tuffy Gosewischs RBI single with one out in the 12th inning gave the Diamondbacks a 1-0 win over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night to earn a split of a doubleheader. After Tuesdays game was postponed after a 3-hour, 40-minute rain delay, the Diamondbacks lost Wednesdays opener when Zach Walters walkoff homer in the ninth gave the Indians a 3-2 win. As a scoreless second game dragged into extra innings, Arizona needed something good to happen before their 10-game trip continued Thursday against the Marlins. While Gosewisch came through in the clutch, five Arizona pitchers combined on the shutout. "Getting the split the way we did will make for a good plane flight to Miami," manager Kirk Gibson said. Randall Delgado (2-3), the losing pitcher in the first game, pitched the 11th. Addison Reed gave up pinch-hitter Lonnie Chisenhalls two-out double in the 12th, but struck out Jason Kipnis for his 28th save to end a game that lasted 4:16. Alfredo Marte drew a leadoff walk from C.C. Lee (0-1) to start the winning rally. After a sacrifice, Gosewisch singled up the middle for the games only run. "I was looking for a pitch up to drive, but he jammed me a little bit with a slider," Gosewisch said. "Fortunately, it found a hole and got through." Michael Brantley started the 11th with a double, but Delgado struck out Carlos Santana and Chris Dickerson and retired Walters on a groundout. Josh Tomlin pitched 5 1-3 innings while Andrew Chafin threw five innings in his major league debut. Chafin, an Ohio native who pitched at Kent State, was called up on Aug. 8. He attended high school about 50 miles from Cleveland, and had more than 60 family members and friends at Progressive Field. Chafin was optioned to Triple-A Reno following the game. "I completely understand its for the benefit of the team," he said. "Hopefully, Ill have the opportunity to come back, but this was a great night that Ill never forget." Walters, acquired from Washington for Asdrubal Cabrera on July 31, hit a 1-2 pitch from Delgado that narrowly cleared the wall in right fiield to win the opener. NCAA Jerseys. The home run was the fourth of his career. "Hes hit a couple balls right on the nose," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "On a day that it was probably going to take a home run to win it, it was good to see him do it. Im sure that will help him relax." Cody Allen (4-2) pitched the ninth for Cleveland to get the win. Trevor Bauer, pitching against the team that took him with the third pick of the 2011 draft, allowed two runs and struck out nine in a career-high eight innings. WHERES THE WEATHERMAN? Francona wasnt particularly happy about Tuesday nights events that saw the game postponed in the fourth inning after the lengthy rain delay. The initial forecast said the rain would last about an hour and then clear out. "Whoever was doing the forecasting last night had a bad night," Francona said. ALMOST READY Francona said OF Michael Bourn (sore left hamstring) will DH in a minor league game Thursday and be activated Friday. Bourn had surgery on the hamstring in October, but the injury has bothered him all season. He hasnt played since July 5. TRAINERS ROOM Diamondbacks: OF A.J. Pollock (broken right hand) is expected to resume his rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Reno over the weekend. Pollock returned to Phoenix after being hit by a pitch on the same hand during his rehab debut in the Class A Arizona League, but tests showed no additional damage. Indians: Nick Swisher (sore right knee) will be examined by Dr. Neal S. ElAttrache, the team physician for the Dodgers, on Tuesday in Los Angeles. A determination on whether Swisher needs surgery could be made at that time. UP NEXT Diamondbacks: Arizona continues its 10-game road trip with a four-game series in Miami on Thursday. Arizona RHP Chase Anderson (7-4) takes on RHP Brad Penny (1-0). Anderson is unbeaten in his past five starts, posting a 2-0 record with a 1.74 ERA over 31 innings. Indians: Cleveland is off Thursday, but continues its five-game homestand Friday against Baltimore. Cleveland RHP Corey Kluber (13-6) faces LHP Wei-Yin Chen (12-4). Kluber is tied for the American League lead in wins and ranks third with a 2.46 ERA and 187 strikeouts. ' ' '