Lawrence Frank will lead the Nets through two-a-day practice sessions starting October 4 for six straight days before resting the team for the opening exhibition game against the Pacers on October 11 at Continental Airlines Arena. The YES Network will broadcast the game live at 8 p.m. that night.
The Nets training camp actually got underway on September 18 when camp invitees could begin working out at the Nets' Champion Center in East Rutherford. Nets Media Day will be held at the Champion Center at 11 a.m. on October 3rd. Then, the next day, the team will begin two-a-day practices, starting at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Jason Collins, who is rehabbing after off-season knee surgery, will be exempt from the two-a-days. The Nets will hold an open practice for fans at Bill Bradley Sports and Recreation Center Main Arena at Ramapo College in Mahwah, NJ on October 7th at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. As the team recently announced, all proceeds raised from the open practice will be donated to the American Red Cross to help in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
After the Indiana game, the Nets will play seven more pre-season games. Of those, two others will be televised: YES will carry the Nets-Sixers on October 21st and ESPN will carry Nets-Knicks on the 28th. The Philadelphia game and a Celtics game on October 25th will be the only other games played at CAA, although two games will be played in Connecticut and one in New York. The Nets play the Knicks at the Harbor Yards in Bridgeport on October 15th and the Celtics at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville. The Nets-Knicks game on the 28th will be played at Madison Square Garden.
The Nets will open against the Bucks on November 2, and play six of their first nine games at the Continental Airlines Arena, where they posted a 24-17 mark last season.