This past week, guard Kerry Kittles played professional basketball for the first time in a year and a half. Kittles, who missed all of last season rehabbing from his fourth knee surgery, played for the Nets at the Shaw's Pro Summer League in Boston.

After the timely layoff, the reviews from Boston were all positive for the Nets 1996 first-round draft pick from Villanova. In the four games that he played in, Kittles averaged 10.5 points in 22.3 minutes per game.

Kittles appears well on his way to a successful comeback and the Nets look forward to seeing him back on the court again for the 2001-02 season.

Kerry Kittles chatted on July 26.

Josh (forest city) from tnt1.forest-city.ia.da.uu.net at 2:32pm ET
Hey Kerry, I always enjoyed watching you play when you were with Villanova and know that you have tons of talent! After playing in pro league this summer, how does your knee feel and how do you think you will do this next season?

Kerry Kittles at 2:32pm ET
My knee feels really good right now. I haven't played ball in a long time so I'm just trying to get my feel for the game back. It looks pretty good for the upcoming season and I'm looking forward to playing.
aaron from proxy.aol.com at 2:32pm ET
How do you feel about Jason Kidd coming to the Nets?

Kerry Kittles at 2:33pm ET
I think Jason Kidd is a great point guard, a definite leader on this team, he loves to pass first and shoot second. He's very fast and I'm a fast player, so I think our styles will really mesh together.
Alex Rafferty from proxy.aol.com at 2:33pm ET
What do you think the Nets have to do to get to the playoffs?

Kerry Kittles at 2:34pm ET
I think you have to have a team that go out and compete every night. You just have to play a certain style that maybe teams in the East aren't used to. I think we have players that can score and get easy baskets, which will help us in the long run. If we win the games we're supposed to win and play tough against the teams you're not favored to beat, that puts us in a good position to go to the playoffs.
Tim Power at 2:34pm ET
I know you haven't played for him yet, but what do you think of Byron Scott as an NBA coach?

Kerry Kittles at 2:35pm ET
You have to look at the way he played on championship teams -- he has the experience and he had a long NBA career. He has a great approach to the game and the players feed off of him from a leadership standpoint, and if you have that, the rest of the team will work hard to become better individual players and to win more games as a team.
Tim Power at 2:35pm ET
Do you think that Jayson Williams will attempt a comeback?

Kerry Kittles at 2:36pm ET
I don't know right now. There was talk about that last year. I personally don't think he'll come back, but you never know.
RMays from wizcom.com at 2:36pm ET
Welcome back! After playing with the 4 rookies in the Summer league, were you surprised by their skills? How do you feel they'll be able to contribute to the team?

Kerry Kittles at 2:37pm ET
I wasn't surprised. I saw those guys play in college and I knew they had great talent. I think they'll be very good NBA players, and the sky's the limit in terms of how far they'll go. They'll reap benefits from a good work ethic.
Tristin E. from kelly.af.mil at 2:37pm ET
What do you think of the idea of Michael Jordan returning to the NBA? Will it be good for the league?

Kerry Kittles at 2:37pm ET
It would definitely be great for the league. There's a guy who people say is the all-time best, and when he plays, you'll get a better fan base, better competition and overall the league will benefit from that if he does come back.
Vin from ecomserver.com at 2:37pm ET
What are your plans for the remaining summer before training camp begins?

Kerry Kittles at 2:38pm ET
I want to continue to train and continue to get myself ready for training camp. Now I just want to get into the gym, put in some more time, work on my shot, work on my athleticism and my overall skills. And if I do that, I'll be ready for training camp and the upcoming season.
netsfan at 2:38pm ET
How do you feel about the league allowing teams to play zone defense?

Kerry Kittles at 2:39pm ET
Personally I was a little skeptical about it, but once I played in Boston, I realized it's not really a zone defense. Overall, it's still the same kind of game, there's just a little more freedom on defense to roam around. I actually don't think the game will change that much.
Nova Alum at 2:39pm ET
Any plans on wearing one sock up and one sock down again? Do you think it'll become a trend like headbands were from last season?

Kerry Kittles at 2:40pm ET
No, I don't think those are in my plans right now. The league told me a couple years ago not to do it, so I've kind of moved on.
Jeff Kreismer from proxy.aol.com at 2:40pm ET
Even though you haven't had the chance to play with him yet, how good do you think Kenyon Martin can become as a pro?

Kerry Kittles at 2:41pm ET
I think he can become a good player. He struggled in the beginning of the year with his injury, but he proved he has a lot of potential, and if he can continue to improve offensively, his defense speaks for itself. His transition is good as far as running the court. So the sky's the limit as far as this guy's potential -- it's just a matter of how much he can improve.
eagle at 2:41pm ET
Do you still follow Villanova hoops?

Kerry Kittles at 2:41pm ET
Yes I do.
Nova at 2:42pm ET
What do you feel you can do to make yourself even better and become one of the elite shooting guards in the league?

Kerry Kittles at 2:43pm ET
I think when you're talking about an elite shooting guard, you're talking about someone who puts up good numbers consistently. If I can do that while shooting a good percentage, that could help make me an elite player. I also know that defense defines an elite player, so if I can do that -- keep my guy's numbers low every night -- then I could be one of those players.
jack cowabunga from dsl.lsan03.pacbell.net at 2:43pm ET
what players do you have the most difficulty guarding?

Kerry Kittles at 2:44pm ET
I matched up against Allen Iverson a few times -- he's tough to contain. Kobe Bryant has lots of moves dribbling the ball. Vince Carter and Paul Pierce are very explosive offensively. But on any given night, you need to be careful of how you're playing defense and try to contain your guy as much as possible.
Paul from thegrid.net at 2:44pm ET
If you could play any past player one on one, who would it be?

Kerry Kittles at 2:45pm ET
That's a good question. I guess I'd like to play either George Gervin or Earl Monroe. Those guys were not only great at their time, but they made the game look so easy and they were very smooth. I look at myself the same way, so I'd like to see how difficult it would be to guard one of those guys who looks so graceful when he has the ball.
Aaron Burns from Valdese,NC at 2:45pm ET
What do you like to do in the offseason?

Kerry Kittles at 2:46pm ET
I love to fish. I love to travel and go to see different cities and cultures. I do a ton of reading. Hang out with my dogs. That's about it.

Kerry Kittles at 2:47pm ET
Thanks to all the fans who have supported me through my career in college and the NBA. I'm working hard to come back and be the best player I can be.