Kenyon Martin says he'll keep the Nets in line this season.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Here are five observations of the New Jersey Nets on media day:

1. Kenyon Martin is determined to rise into the role of the Nets' second superstar and leader for this franchise. After a checkered regular season of flagrant fouls and suspensions, Martin, the 2000 No. 1 overall pick out of Cincinnati, had a career-high 35 points and 11 rebounds in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, offering a window into the possibilities of his promising future. He has come back to camp bulkier and stronger, promising to be an enforcer within his own locker room should teammates let themselves get caught in the swirling hype surrounding the Eastern Conference's defending champions. "I ain't having it from Day One," Martin said. "If you ain't ready to play, I'm going to let you know."

2. Rod Thorn and Byron Scott were thrilled to upgrade on Kidd's backup, bringing free agent Chris Childs back for a second tour of duty with the Nets. Childs gives the Nets a veteran with a penchant for relentless on ball defense and a playmaker with a history of performing well in the playoffs. If he gets on the floor, anyway. Indeed, it's troubling for the organization to see Childs sitting on the sidelines, his injured right Achilles strapped within a protective boot. Officials are still awaiting results of an MRI to discover the extent of the damage. Childs, 33, could miss most of camp and probably the start of the season on Oct. 30. This was an injury that sidelined him in December for the Raptors a season ago, one which Childs, clearly carrying too much weight, aggravated just before the start of camp. "Obviously, he's overweight and when you start working out and you're heavy, you put the heavy poundage (on the Achilles) and that didn't help," Scott said.

3. The Nets feared they were going to lose top assistant Eddie Jordan to a head coaching job over the summer, but he passed on Golden State and Denver to stay the course with Scott. Jordan was responsible for installing the Princeton offense, a system that will take some tweaking with Dikembe Mutombo's limited passing and catching skills. Who knows what Jordan's future could be with the Nets? After all, Scott has two years left on his contract and could well turn into a candidate for the Lakers job should Phil Jackson leave Los Angeles when his deal ends in 2004. Kobe Bryant has endorsed the possibility of his old mentor, Scott, returning to the Lakers. Jordan would be the unquestioned heir to Scott with the Nets.

4. Part of the reason the Nets were so willing to part with leading scorer Keith Van Horn rested with the emergence of Richard Jefferson. He moves into the starting small forward slot, returning for his second season with what appears to be a much more consistent jump shot. Once Jefferson, so explosive to the basket, turns into that reliable shooter, he's destined to be a major offensive star in the league.

5. Rodney Rogers wants to make the Celtics regret letting him leave for the Nets, where the small forward signed a three year, $9.3 million contract this summer. He had bigger offers elsewhere, but old teammates Mutombo and Kidd convinced him to take less money for a chance to compete for a championship. Once the Nets traded Van Horn, they were desperate for a perimeter presence to complement Jefferson's athleticism. Around the Nets, there's no one who isn't thrilled for losing Van Horn to the Rogers/Jefferson combination. Still, Scott hasn't been terribly pleased over Rogers poor conditioning upon reporting to camp.

Adrian Wojnarowski is a columnist for The Record (N.J.) and a regular contributor to ESPN.com. He can be reached at ESPNWoj@aol.com.