“I just wish we were healthy so I could see, ‘Where are we with the best in the conference?'” JOHN CALIPARI

ATLANTA – Entering last night’s season opener here against the Hawks and for tonight’s home opener in the Meadowlands, also against the Hawks, John Calipari wished he had one thing on his side: the New Jersey Nets. All of the New Jersey Nets.

Increasing Calipari’s longing to have his gang intact was a quick glimpse at the LaPhonso Ellis-fortified Hawks, who throttled Cleveland, 100-83, here Friday.

“They are very, very talented. Very big. Their point guard [ex-Net Mookie Blaylock] is as good as it gets,” Calipari said following the morning workout. “With Ellis, you have Ty Corbin and Grant Long coming off the bench. [Anthony] Johnson’s done a nice job for them. They are good.”

And they are healthy, which the Nets are not. The Nets were without – and will be without tonight – Kerry Kittles and Rony Seikaly, definite scratches while Chris Gatling emerged as questionable for Calipari’s third pro season-opener. Seikaly was still in Miami last night, getting treatment on his left ankle. Kittles showed a lot more hop and bounce but waved off any notion he might play on his bruised right knee. And Gatling was wondering if he could give even a few minutes with a bad left hamstring.

“I just wish we were healthy so I could see, ‘Where are we with the best in the conference?'” Calipari continued. “But we’re going in without Kerry. And if Gatling doesn’t play, we’re playing Brian Evans at four, who’s maybe a two. I have no choice; that’s what we have.”

So the Nets were left to wish and hope while the Hawks, who truly made themselves a five-man team with the addition of Ellis, sought to successfully complete the second leg of a back-to-back-to-back indoctrination to the 50-game season. Ellis fouled out against the Cavs but not before scoring 14 points. And when the game was on the line in the fourth quarter, the Hawks utilized Ellis as the go-to guy.

“LaPhonso did a terrific job,” said Hawks coach Lenny Wilkens. “We just ran a few things for him, but you could see the players recognize his talent.”

And you could hear in the Nets’ words how they recognize the change in the Hawks, who received their usual staple of points (15), rebounds (11) and blocks (8) from Dikembe Mutombo to complement Ellis.

“Ellis is a very active player who can shoot the jumper. He keeps coming at you. With him, the most important thing is never give up on him, just keep going with him and not let him get the easy buckets,” said Keith Van Horn, who at some point would get a piece of Ellis although Kendall Gill was the designated defender to start on the ex-Nugget.

“The Hawks are very talented. A lot of people are mentioning us, Miami and Indiana in the East,” Van Horn continued. “Atlanta has to be in that mix, especially after watching them [Friday] because they have a very talented team. They have two or three All-Stars and a collection of very good role players. They are going to be a force.”

The Nets intended a defense-by-committee on Ellis with a tag-team system employing Gill, Scott Burrell and “probably Keith if we’re bigger,” Calipari offered.

Gill, however, acknowledged Ellis’ talents but said the force in Atlanta is in their depth. With Ellis, he said, the Hawks are the same as they were with the departed Christian Laettner.

“To me, there’s no difference,” Gill shrugged. “He gives them another big body. Christian Laettner, that’s 18 points a game and an all-star. So to me, it’s more of the same. ”