Do you think the New Jersey Nets will be looking for a big man in the off-season?

Shaquille O'Neal, along with his newest prom date, Dwayne Wade, advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals Tuesday night with their fourth consecutive defeat of the New Jersey Nets.  Former Gator (note shameless plug of alma mater) Udonis Haslem led the way for the Heat with ten rebounds.  Although the Nets had one last shot at a game-winner with less than two seconds left in the contest, Jason Kidd's inbound pass to Vince Carter was intercepted by Wade sealing the game... and the Nets season.

A lack of size down low and a failure to create any sort of balanced attack was the key to the series, despite the presence of three of the league's superstars in Kidd, Carter and Jefferson.  When training the Mystery Men to take on Casanova Frankenstein, the Sphinx professed "if you can balance a tack hammer on your head, you will head off your foes with a balanced attack."  Obviously, Rod Thorn has not seen "Mystery Men."

Although the discrepancy in rebounds does not show in the boxscores from the series, it was the timeliness of said rebounds, and New Jersey's inability to create any sort of efficient post presence in the series that finished the Nets.  Their starting center, Nenad Krstic, went 0-for-3 in Game 5.  New Jersey's big three took all but sixteen of their shots tonight.

I'd look for the Nets to make a move for a solid rebounding presence in the off-season, a Rodman type that doesn't need to take that many shots to be satisfied.  The Nets have given Jason Collins every opportunity over the past few years to prove his worth but four rebounds and one shot attempt in thirty-three minutes played tonight may have guaranteed himself a spot as New Jersey trade bait.