Could the Nets have spent their money any worse? 12.1, 5.7, 6.1 and 7.6. No, those aren't pH readings from random soil plots in my front yard. They're the PERs of the four players the Nets spent a combined $70 million on this summer. Jordan Farmar, the "star" pickup with the 12.1 PER, has at least done roughly what might have been expected, as he produced similar output in L.A. the past two seasons. And Johan Petro's awfulness might have been predicted in spite of the three-year, $10 million contract he signed, because most league observers were baffled by the deal and thought he was a minimum-contract player. But Travis Outlaw and Anthony Morrow? New Jersey's two starting wings have been brutal so far, notwithstanding the Wall Street Journal's recent feature on Morrow possibly joining the ranks of great shooters. Morrow did make a game-winning 3-pointer in the Nets' opener. Alas, he's only made three others in four games and has been largely worthless in other phases. One wonders if Outlaw is pressing to justify his much-criticized, five-year, $35 million deal, as he's shooting 30.8 percent, partly because he's forced several ill-chosen heaves. Of equal concern has been his uneven performance on defense, which is why previous employers liked him better in a scoring, sixth man role. The Nets, unfortunately, lack that luxury.