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New-look Nets take on Wizards in opener

Oct 29, 2008 - 10:14 AM New Jersey at Washington, 7:00 pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- Day One of New Jersey Nets' rebuilding project begins against a team already hampered by injuries.

Yi Jianlian and many new faces make their debut when the Nets travel to take on the Washington Wizards - who are without Gilbert Arenas - in the regular-season opener for both teams Wednesday.

The renovated Nets have three rookies, two second-year players, eight new faces and only one All-Star in Vince Carter.

In a busy offseason, the Nets traded Richard Jefferson to the Milwaukee Bucks for Bobby Simmons and Yi, a Chinese forward with plenty of potential - though it didn't show in his rookie campaign last season after being taken seventh overall in the 2007 draft.

The team also selected center Brook Lopez with the 10th overall pick in June's draft and later chose former Memphis star Chris Douglas-Roberts in the second round.

The trio of youngsters, along with point guard Devin Harris, provide plenty of punch for a team with hopes of luring a big-name free agent in 2010, when LeBron James heads the class of available stars.

Other than Carter and Harris, the next-highest returning scorer, center Josh Boone, averaged just 8.2 points last season.

The Wizards, meanwhile, will need Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison to step up while their All-Star guard Arenas recovers from a third knee surgery in two seasons.

Jamison, who signed a four-year, $50 million extension over the summer, was one of only two players in the Eastern Conference to average 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds - a major reason why Washington qualified for the playoffs in 2007-08.

However, the team was bounced by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round for the third straight season, and begins this season without center Brendan Haywood. The seven-year veteran had surgery in mid-October to repair a torn wrist ligament and may miss the entire season.

The Nets won two of three from the Wizards last season, with both wins coming before the team traded point guard Jason Kidd to the Dallas Mavericks to jumpstart their retooling stage.