By John Torenli
Brooklyn Daily Eagle

It’s a good thing the New Jersey (soon-to-be-Brooklyn) Nets cleared what many considered their final major legal hurdle in securing plans to build the 18,000-seat Barclays Center at the intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush avenues a couple of days before Thanksgiving.

Otherwise, opponents of the landmark decision may have cited the organization for trying to dump its garbage on the coveted site.

The Nets dropped to 0-14 that Tuesday night with a 101-87 loss at Denver. But Downtown developer Bruce Ratner and owner-in-waiting Mikhail Prokhorov both were heartened by the New York State Court of Appeals’ decision earlier that morning to approve the state’s use of eminent domain at Atlantic Yards.

“Once again the courts have made it clear that this project represents a significant public benefit for the people of Brooklyn and the entire city,� said Ratner, who has spent the past six years trying to plant the first shovel into the valuable patch of land.

“Our commitment to the entire project is as strong today as when we started six years ago.�

Can the same be said of the commitment to putting a winning product on the floor for the announced crowd of 11,689 who paid to see the latest debacle at the IZOD Center on Wednesday night?

Less than two weeks after their favorable ruling in court, the Nets have sunk to a new low, establishing a new record for the worst start (0-18) in NBA history with a 117-101 loss to Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks in East Rutherford, N.J.

“There’s no moral victories: You win or you lose,� Nets’ second-year guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said on the team’s web site following New Jersey’s latest painful defeat.

“I’m at a loss for explaining what’s going on, really.�

It’s actually quite simple, Chris.

Based on the current salary structure in the NBA, one that apparently requires teams to trade potential victories for potential free-agent signings, the Nets are simply doing what their cross-river rivals from Madison Square Garden have done for the past few seasons.

Selling the present for the hope of a brighter future — at their fans’ expense.

In an effort to clear cap space for the much-anticipated 2010 free agent class, one that is headlined by Ratner’s fellow Ohioan and the league’s top attraction in LeBron James, the Nets appear to have cast aside any serious hope of winning in 2009-10.

Kidd, Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson and Kerry Kittles were all key members of the greatest team in Nets history, the one that went to back-to-back NBA Finals in 2002-03.

But none of them survived Ratner’s purging of high-priced talent and neither did later addition Vince Carter, whom many considered the face of the franchise following Kidd’s departure.

“It’s unfortunate,� Kidd told the Associated Press after putting up 16 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists against his former club in Wednesday’s record-setting loss.

“There’s nobody on that team that was a part of the run we had here. They’re going in a different direction. Personnel-wise, they’re young. They got some young talent. The future is bright for them if they can stay together and stay healthy.�

The Nets will be on their third coach of the season when general manager Kiki Vandeweghe takes the helm tonight against Charlotte at the IZOD Center.

Lawrence Frank, who was mercifully let go after Loss No. 16, bit the bullet for the franchise these past few years, trying in vain to compete with less and less talent on the floor due to cost-cutting and injury.

Apparently, Thorn didn’t want Frank’s name associated with the infamous mark, so he gave the gig to assistant Tom Barrise, who absorbed the record-tying and setting defeats as Vandeweghe prepped for his first stint as an NBA coach.

“Lawrence always approached every day with a passion for his craft that was infectious, and his dedication to the game as well as his work ethic are to be both admired and appreciated,� Thorn said. Again, can the same be said for the Nets?

Are 2010 free agents like Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson and King James supposed to be lured to the Nets simply by the prospect of playing in Brooklyn someday?

Maximum contracts will be available for all of these players by next summer, and the Nets will more than likely have a very high pick in the NBA Draft.

But the mounting losses and lack of star power is leaving a poor impression not only on the high-priced free agents in waiting, but the current Nets as well.

“At this point, I feel the streak has definitely gotten the best of us. It’s really not starting to get to us now,� Douglas-Roberts added. “So when a team goes on a run, we kind of, it’s almost like we give up, which is really unfortunate but that’s what it looks like to me.

“We kind of give up and just lay down instead of trying to fight.�

Not exactly words to build local excitement for what would be the first major pro sports franchise since the Dodgers fled to Los Angeles following the summer of 1957.

In local college basketball news, junior Chelsi Johnson scored 12 points and senior Connie James and sophomore Ashley Palmer added 10 apiece as the Long Island University women’s team ran over visiting Delaware State, 66-34, on Wednesday night at the Wellness Center.

The Blackbirds improved to 4-3, thanks to a dominating defense that held the Hornets to 22 percent shooting from the field. LIU made 53 percent of its field-goal attempts and held a commanding 45-32 advantage in rebounding.

LIU will open its Northeast Conference slate Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. against visiting Central Connecticut State at The WRAC.

The St. Francis men’s basketball team, which posted its first win of the season with last Saturday’s dramatic 66-65 win at Colgate, will host Northeast Conference rival Bryant at the Pope Center on Saturday in a game that will be televised live at noon on the MSG Network.

On the Downtown high school hoops scene, Brooklyn Friends improved to 3-0 with Wednesday afternoon’s 53-27 rout of Lycee Francais.

Despite the absence of top scorer Ahmad Rana, the Pride remained perfect behind the efforst of seniors Shaquille Malcolm (17 points) and Taj Zahran (11 points and 17 rebounds).

BFS is scheduled to begin what coach Vladimir Malukoff described as “the real season� today against Staten Island Academy in the Athletic Conference of Independent Schools opener for both teams.

Also of note, Bishop Loughlin senior Jayvaughn Pinkston, originally believed to be signing a letter of intent to attend the University of Tennessee, verbally committed to Villanova instead this week.

The highly touted 6-foot-6 recruit also flirted with St. John’s and Marquette as potential options.

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