TORONTO -- For once, expectations are sky high at the start of Toronto FC training camp. A team that has long been the MLS doormat --Toronto has won six, nine, 10, nine, six, five, and six games since coming into the league in 2007 -- enters the 2014 season as a shooting star thanks to the hoopla over high-priced signings Jermain Defoe, Michael Bradley and Giberto. "Its a bloody big deal" is the already tired slogan around the acquisition of England striker Defoe. But the atmosphere is unmistakable. "Theres a buzz," said general manager Tim Bezbatchenko. The players started arriving late this week and most trained indoors Friday, although manager Ryan Nelsen did not involve those who were are the recent Canadian national team camp in Florida. He also gave Bradley a pass, given his recent involvement in Serie A. "Michaels had a lot of football," Nelsen said. "He doesnt need it now. He just probably needs a little rest." Captain Steven Caldwell sat out with a minor calf knock while the club waited on visa paperwork for Brazils Gilberto and Jackson. Toronto leaves Sunday for Florida. The 31-year-old Defoe will remain with Englands Tottenham until the end of February. Toronto opens the season March 15 in Seattle. Nelsen says the team will give Defoe time to bed in when he gets here. "We have to be very careful and we have to judge it. Hes here for four years, its not like were going to rush him back, patch him up if we have to and throw him out on the field. We have to think long-term. "So when hes ready to play, hell be ready to play. If thats Game 1, then brilliant. If its Game 4, so be it." In his second year on the job, the 36-year-old Nelsen finds himself in a totally different situation. He arrived last year with minimal knowledge of the talent that awaited him. He has the squad of his choice largely in place this time. "In all honesty I thought it might take a couple of years to get to the situation where we are right now," said Nelsen. There was short-term pain for long-term gain last season. Some 27 players came in -- if you count Israeli defender Tal Ben Haim whose loan deal from QPR never quite happened -- and 26 exited. The revolving door has slowed ahead of 2014 but those coming in have been quality additions. The three DPs are joined by American Justin Morrow and Englands Bradley Orr on defence, Jackson and Canadian star Dwayne De Rosario in midfield and teenage Canadian forward Jordan Hamilton. The team still has some roster work to do on the status of Argentine midfielder Matias Laba and English fullback Richard Eckersley. Laba is in camp while Eckersley, with the teams blessing, is not. Laba also has a designated player deal, meaning Toronto is one over the three DP limit. So the club has to find a way to restructure his contract or move him on. The club likes the Argentine, who at 22 has many years ahead on him. Heres guessing the team finds a way to farm him out without losing track of him. Eckersley is a victim -- sort of -- of a rich contract that grew fatter this year when the team was forced to restructure his deal to help ease its salary cap burden last season. Toronto could take a one-time contract buyout to get out from under the Eckersley contract burden without taking a salary cap hit. Toronto can also reach a settlement with Eckersley or deal him while eating some of the contract, which would impact the cap. Other MLS teams are unlikely to take Eckersley at his current number. Still, Bezbatchenko is confident he can find a way. Given his background as a former MLS insider and the leagues seemingly fluid rules, he is likely to succeed. When it comes to his starting lineup, Nelsen often says his players -- not him -- pick the team with their performance on the pitch. When all his pieces are in place, one would expect a likely starting 11 of Joe Bendik in goal behind a backline of Morrow, Caldwell, Canadian Doneil Henry and Orr, a midfield of Jackson, Bradley, De Rosario (or fellow Canadian Jonathan Osorio) and Alvaro Rey with Gilberto and Defoe up front. Its a good-looking team sheet, although the rest of the roster is young. Nelsen likes what he sees but is realistic. He knows it takes time to turn around a franchise and establish a winning culture. "It doesnt matter who you put out on the field, the clubs got to learn how to win ... we know weve got a long way to go." Nelsen adds: "I say that with one side of my face. The other side says if theres a group of guys that can live up to any expectations, I feel like these guys will really enjoy it and will enjoy the pressure. "It will be different for them because we will have a target on our back. Everybody will want to beat us. Everybody wanted to play us because they knew they could beat us in the past. Now theyll want to play us because they will want to try to prove a point to beat us. "Its a different mentality and its going to be difficult. But its a lovely challenge to be in." A one-year partnership with the North Carolina-based Wilmington Hammerheads of the USL Pro League gives TFC a place to give some of its younger talent a chance to play. Toronto may also look to loan a player within MLS. Bezbatchenko was part of the process in getting the newly installed loan format approved while he was working in the league office. Canadian international Issey Nakajima-Farran is in the Toronto camp on trial. Cheap Kevin Durant Shoes . This is an exercise I have undertaken a few times, starting in 2009, and hope that Ive refined my approach a little bit in that time to help paint a better picture. 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Joe Johnson scored 22 points, including the tying layup in regulation and the go-ahead 3-pointer in overtime, to lead the Nets past the Mavericks 107-104 Sunday night in Kidds first game as a coach in the city where his career started in 1994 and reached its peak in his second stint 17 years later. The Nets swept the two-game season series with Dallas in their first year under Kidd, who was also celebrating his 41st birthday. "Its a little wet in there," Kidd said, warning of the pile of ice surrounded by towels in the middle of the locker room floor. "You guys be careful. I dont want any media getting hurt." Marcus Thornton had 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter for the Nets, who won their fourth straight game and beat a Western Conference team for the fifth straight time. Monta Ellis led Dallas with 32 points, but Dirk Nowitzki finished with 10 on one of his toughest shooting nights of the season. Nowitzki hit his first shot of overtime after going 1-of-10 in regulation, but the Mavericks couldnt make any shots until it was too late in overtime. Nowitzki was 2-of-12 from the field, finishing below 42 per cent for the third time in four games as the Mavericks dropped to 2-2 on a franchise-record eight-game homestand. Both losses have been in overtime, and now Dallas faces back-to-back games against teams with much more secure playoff futures in Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles Clippers. "This is not the time to panic," said Ellis, who had four assists and four turnovers. "We still have four more home games. We are going to try to get these four." After a layup that tied the score with 9 seconds left in regulation, Johnson put the Nets up 96-93 early in overtime with a 3-pointer and answered a pair of free throws from Nowitzki with a jumper. After another miss by Nowitzki, Shaun Livingston stepped in front of a pass fromm Shawn Marion and went the distance for a layup and Brooklyns biggest lead at 100-95.dddddddddddd Deron Williams and Paul Pierce had 15 points apiece for the Nets. The Mavericks, who led by 14 points after the first quarter and midway through the third, were up four with 44 seconds left in the regulation when Pierce hit two free throws after getting fouled by Marion. After Nowitzki shot an airball on a fadeway, Johnson drove for a layup and a 91-all tie. Ellis missed a long 3-pointer at the buzzer in regulation. Sam Dalembert had season highs of 15 rebounds and seven blocks, and he had two huge plays that werent rebounds when he was fouled trying to get the ball and made three of four free throws in the last 1:11. Dalembert scored 12 points. The Mavericks led by 14 after the first quarter and again midway through the third before the Nets made a charge with a 14-0 run to a 73-72 lead on two free throws from Williams. Thornton had consecutive 3-pointers to get Brooklyn within a point. "We just had too many lapses tonight," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "A lot of them were on innocent plays when we had a lead, but, you know, in a one-possession game, those things come back to you." Devin Harris, who was traded to the Nets when Kidd returned to Dallas in 2008, came off the bench much earlier than usual after Jose Calderon was knocked out of the game just 45 seconds in by an inadvertent elbow to the face from Mason Plumlee. Calderon didnt return, and Carlisle said his status is uncertain. Harris hit three 3-pointers in the first 6 minutes and led the Mavericks with nine points in the first half. He finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a season-high 40 minutes. NOTES: Nets F Andrei Kirilenko left in the first half with a mild left ankle sprain and didnt return. ... The Mavericks showed a clever "Shawn Marion training video" making light of an unconventional shooting style where he short-arms the ball with his right hand. Marion was laughing when he came off the bench after the timeout. ... Nets F Mirza Teletovic had nine points after getting a career-high 34 in 107-106 win at Brooklyn in late January. ' ' '