EAST RUTHERFORD, N.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. Fake Avalanche Jerseys . -- Michael Frazier II scored 21 points, Dorian Finney-Smith added 11 and No. Custom Colorado Avalanche Jerseys . The 49ers, 6-2 and riding a five-game winning streak following the bye week, also waived cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and activated cornerback Eric Wright from the reserve/non-football injury list. Manningham made 42 receptions for 449 yards and one touchdown in 12 games and 10 starts last season before injuring his left knee in a loss at Seattle Dec. https://www.cheapavalanche.com/. Terry came from Boston along with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce but has appeared in just 35 games after a knee injury, averaging 4.5 points on 36 per cent shooting. Evans was a favourite of fans but not coach Jason Kidd, who used him in just 30 of their 51 games. Cheap Avalanche Jerseys . Schaub will start for an injured Case Keenum and try to help the Texans end a 12-game skid. Schaubs last action in Houston came when he took over late in a game against Oakland on Nov. 17 as Keenum was struggling. Colorado Avalanche Pro Shop . PAUL, Minn.OAKLAND, Calif. - The Toronto Blue Jays still arent scoring much on the road, and an overall three-week funk has dropped the former division leaders 1 1-2 games out of first place in the AL East. Even normally reliable Mark Buehrle is struggling, not having won a start since June 1. That isnt even the worst news for manager John Gibbons ballclub. Edwin Encarnacion had to leave the game after hearing "a pop" in his right leg while legging out an infield grounder in the first inning of the Blue Jays 5-1 loss to the Oakland Athletics on Saturday night. The Toronto slugger, who went into the night tied for second in the majors with 26 home runs, will undergo an MRI in the next day or two. "I wouldnt guess itd be a quick thing," Gibbons said. "He said he felt something pop in his quad. Thats all I know right now. Id be very surprised if he went on the DL but I dont know that for sure yet." As tough as losing their top offensive threat was, the Blue Jays seemed even more irked about a play in the eighth inning that they felt should have been overturned by replay. With Oakland leading 3-1, Melky Cabrera was thrown out trying to score from first base on a double to left by Jose Bautista. Oakland left fielder Craig Gentry retrieved the ball and shortstop Jed Lowrie made a strong relay throw home to catcher Derek Norris, who appeared to tag a sliding Cabrera on the back. Home plate umpire Bill Miller called Cabrera out, and after a brief review, the call was upheld. "He missed him by a good foot or two," Bautista said. "I dont really know which replay they were looking @ but clearly they must have had a different video feed than the one we had. This whole replay thing has become a joke in my eyes. I think they should just ban it. They should just get rid of it.dddddddddddd" Bautista vented his anger over the call for nearly five minutes, almost entirely unprompted. "I dont know what kind of agenda the people that are doing the replays are on, what their plan is ... but obviously getting the right call on the field is not what theyre doing. I dont see the point in having this replay system that doesnt work," he said. Gibbons tempered his frustration over the call. "The bottom line is we played a crappy game tonight," he said. "Theres no way around that." Encarnacion drove in Torontos only run in the first inning before getting hurt. He beat out a possible double play ball, allowing Jose Reyes to score. Encarnacion stepped on the first base bag, limped for a few steps and then tumbled to the ground. Buehrle (10-6) gave up three runs and 10 hits over six innings. Buehrle walked one and struck out three. He had a four-game winning streak against the As end. Josh Donaldson hit a home run and Scott Kazmir (10-3) won for the fifth time in his last six decisions. He walked two and struck out eight, improving to 6-1 in eight home starts. Kazmir retired 20 of 23 hitters after giving up singles to Reyes and Cabrera to start the game. NOTES: The Blue Jays claimed OF Cole Gillespie off waivers from Seattle. Hes expected to start Sunday. ... Bautista is expected to play in right field on Sunday after getting a couple days as DH to help him rest a sore hamstring. ... Blue Jays IF Steve Tolleson was held out of the starting lineup with a twisted ankle. ... RHP Drew Hutchinson (6-6, 3.81) will start Sundays series finale for the Blue Jays. Hutchinson struck out a season-high 10 in his last start, a 4-1 victory over Milwaukee. ... Newly acquired Jeff Samardzija will make his Oakland debut in the series finale. ' ' '
