NETS NOTEBOOK: COLLINS LOOKS FOR MORE TIME.

Byline: Scott Wolf Staff Writer

New Jersey Nets rookie center Jason Collins averaged less than seven minutes a game against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.

However, the former Harvard-Westlake High of Studio City star anticipates a bigger role - figuratively and literally - tonight against the Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Collins probably will be one of several Nets trying to guard Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal, something he tried once without success. He committed six fouls in only 20 minutes while guarding O'Neal in the teams' first meeting March 5.

``It was a learning experience,'' Collins said. ``I've come a long way since then.''

Collins has turned to his twin brother, Utah forward Jarron, for advice on guarding O'Neal.

``Jarron said you have to meet him up high and not let him dunk,'' Collins said. ``It's easier said than done. You can try to guide someone who weighs 360 pounds, but that's all.''

Even little-used rookie Brian Scalabrine of USC thinks he might get some rare action if the Nets need to keep starting center Todd MacCullough out of foul trouble.

``I thought about that on the plane ride here,'' Scalabrine said. ``I had three or four meals on the plane. And I was in the weight room all last week. When I was at USC I had a much bigger ego and used to think I could stop him.''

Scalabrine, who fractured his foot before the season, averaged 10.4 minutes and 2.1 points during the regular season.

--Who needs Staples Center? Collins said he rather would be playing the Lakers at the Forum in Inglewood, where he attended games as a child.

``When I was growing up, that's where we used to watch them when they had Showtime,'' Collins said. ``My family had season tickets.''

--Season highlight: Scalabrine's best-known moment this season occurred when he was sent into a game but discovered he didn't have his jersey under his warm-up and sprinted back to the locker room.

``I just forgot it. I had a lot on my mind because I just came back from my injury,'' Scalabrine said. ``It was during a timeout and I went back and got it. No one would have known if the players hadn't told everyone afterward.''

Nets rookie guard Brandon Armstrong of Pepperdine said he wasn't surprised Scalabrine was teased about the episode for several days.

``We have a lot of characters on this team,'' Armstrong said. ``Some of the veteran guys talked to him about it for a couple days.''

Armstrong did not make the Nets' playoff roster but is practicing and traveling with the team.

``It's a great feeling to come back and play the Lakers after watching them on TV,'' he said. ``I'm from Northern California, but I became a Lakers fan while I was at Pepperdine.''

--Lucky look: Nets guard Lucious Harris of Long Beach State, who has been wearing a mask because of a broken zygomatic bone on the right side of his face, no longer needs to don the headgear, but he has decided to keep wearing it since it hasn't hindered his performance.

Harris has averaged 9.1 points in the playoffs.

--Ticket count: Scalabrine said he hasn't received an overwhelming amount of requests for tickets to the games at Staples Center.

``I don't think anyone knows I play for the Nets,'' Scalabrine said. ``The only people who asked got tickets.''

Naturally, there's more to the story. Scalabrine has kept his cell-phone number secret, which cut down on the number of people who could contact him.

``The people who have my number got tickets,'' Scalabrine said.

Collins said he has let his parents handle his ticket requests.

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JASON COLLINS

Harvard-Westlake product will be one of the Nets trying to stop Shaquille O'Neal.