NET NOTES

Considering the misery that is the Nets’ season, the only thing worth talking about is Jason Kidd’s pending return.

Problem is, that’s the one thing nobody on the team wants to speculate about.

Kidd is expected to discuss his status with team officials when the Nets return from Washington tomorrow. He could practice as early as Friday, but his return date is still murky.

Head coach Lawrence Frank made it clear that it will be up to the medical experts, and not Kidd, as to when he’ll be back on the court.

“Jason wanted to play in September,” Frank said before last night’s game with Charlotte. “He’s ultra-competitive. It’s eating him alive that he’s not on the floor.

“At this point, obviously, as far as he’s come, you have to be prudent and wise. You can’t let the situation dictate when he’s going to come back. You have to let his physical status dictate when he’s going to come back.”

Frank is trying to focus on the personnel he currently has and hammer home the point that the active players are the ones who must reverse a slide that had the Nets 2-11 entering last night.

“This is our team right now,” Frank said. “Obviously Jason is a first-team all-NBA player.

“But we knew at the beginning that Jason was going to be out for some time, so I don’t even think about it.

“We make no apologies or excuses. Right now, as a whole, starting with me, we’re not getting the job done. And we’re not gonna wait on any one player – Jason Kidd, Ron Mercer – and expect them to put on a cape and save us. We have to save ourselves.”

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Former Net Tamar Slay, now a Bobcat, was active for last night’s game. The Bobcats selected him in the expansion draft and had high hopes for him, as he started their first exhibition game.

But then he lost his spot to Jason Kapono and was placed on the injured list. According to a report, Charlotte head coach Bernie Bickerstaff is giving Slay a five-game chance to show his stuff.