After completing postpractice free-throw shooting, but before heading out into the night, Todd MacCulloch and some of his Nets teammates decided to conduct one final drill last week. Each player had to pick up the ball as it lay underneath the basket, jump, and dunk it.

For Kenyon Martin, a prolific leaper, it was a cinch. Kerry Kittles, after four knee right knee surgeries, didn't have much trouble either.

MacCulloch, however, picked up the ball and slammed it off the front of the rim. Grabbing it again, he laid a brick of an attempted layup between the rim and the backboard.