It’s time for report cards again, but hopefully not a time for curses. Last week, I did year-end grades for the Knicks and spoke glowingly of the recent play of Wilson Chandler … so of course on Monday, in the second-to-last game of the season, he goes and tears up his knee. It was a fitting end to a depressing year of basketball in the New York area.

Apologies if I put a similar hex on any Nets heading into tonight’s finale in Boston, as today we hand out the grades on a season that fell far short of expectations. Even the Nets’ total of 33 wins overstates things: Their -5.1-points-per-game scoring margin was that of a 25-win team, and they fizzled down the stretch when they had a chance to get back in the playoff race.

The grades will reflect that, though at least there’s a twinge of optimism about the young guys:

LAWRENCE FRANK: C Though I continue to be a steadfast Francophile based on his impeccable preparation and dedication, I suspect even he would admit he didn’t squeeze as much out of the troops this season as he has in past campaigns. With the Nets shifting from a veteran team to a younger group, he faces a challenge in altering his coaching style to get the most from the new mix.

KEITH VAN HORN: INCOMPLETE. Allegedly came to New Jersey after the Kidd trade, though you still would have trouble coming up with any proof.

MAURICE AGER: D- A throw-in to the Kidd trade, his play in limited minutes adequately explained why Dallas had no problem whatsoever including him in the deal.

NENAD KRSTIC: D The thought was that he’d come back strong from knee surgery. Instead he moved like a snail and spent several months rehabbing after an early-season comeback had to be aborted. The hope is that he can regain his quickness and confidence playing for the Serbian national team this summer and come back strong next year.

TRENTON HASSELL: D A quality defender but an absolutely dreadful offensive player (why do the Nets keep accumulating guys like this?), Hassell has played 24 games as a Net and scored 23 baskets. Ugh. At least he wears the high socks; if Keith Van Horn were still alive, I’m sure he’d be proud.

STROMILE SWIFT: D Trading Jason Collins for him was a money deal as much as anything, but it’s still a little weird. Frank loves smart players who can learn his defensive concepts; Swift is one of the league’s most notorious mental midgets. Let’s just say nobody’s surprised he didn’t play until the Nets were out of the playoff race. He’s talented, but he may never “get it.”

DARRELL ARMSTRONG: D+ The Caffeinator still had his moments at age 39, but he shot only 34.9% and had an unusually high turnover rate. At this point he’s more valuable as a mentor than as a player.

MARCUS WILLIAMS: D+ A truly disappointing second season in which he showed no growth whatsoever. Williams remains enamored of his own shot despite its demonstrable inaccuracy (38.0% from the floor), his turnover rate remains stubbornly high, and his defense is still just a rumor. With Harris around, Williams doesn’t need to become anything more than a quality backup — but right now he’s not even that.

BOSTJAN NACHBAR: C It wasn’t hard to predict that he’d have trouble repeating last year’s shooting numbers. The surprise is that Boki boosted his activity enough to mostly make up for it and was the most dependable bench scorer all year. Granted, that’s a little bit like being the tallest tree in the Sahara, but Nachbar surprised by expanding his game to include drives and fast breaks in addition to 3-pointers.

DESAGANA DIOP: C He is what he is: An offensively limited center who plays great position defense. The difference between Diop and the departed Collins, however, is that he’s also a beast on the boards. That should give the Nets plenty of incentive to resign him as a free agent this summer.

SEAN WILLIAMS: C+ Though he spent much of the year in Frank’s doghouse because of his inability to learn the team’s defensive concepts, Williams is a big positive when you look ahead to the future. Few players have his knack for shot-blocking, and even fewer of them are decent offensive players like Williams is (12.9 points per 40 minutes, 54.3%). He has a long way to go to earn the coaches’ trust, but he’s only 21 and has serious talent.

VINCE CARTER: B- Though the immediate media reaction to any Nets slump is to throw Vince under the bus, he actually had a decent year. No, he doesn’t always play as hard as he could, and yes, the fact he lost four points off his per-40-minute scoring average at age 31 is a major concern going forward. But the Nets have far greater problems than Vince Carter.

RICHARD JEFFERSON: B- Jefferson was lights out to start the season, but he lost steam as the year went on. Those 23.2 points per 40 minutes were huge on a team starved for scoring, but his rebound numbers dipped for a second straight year while his decision-making grew increasingly questionable as he gained more offensive responsibility.

JOSH BOONE: B Took over the starting center spot at midseason and provided one of the year’s few bright spots. Boone averaged 11.3 board per 40 minutes, shot 54.8% from the field, and provided decent interior defense. It seems he’ll be a fixture in the lineup for several years.

DEVIN HARRIS: B The year’s biggest positive was that the Nets were able to get Harris and two first-round picks from Dallas in return for Kidd. Harris is a better player right now and at 25 still looks to be coming into his own. He averaged 18.7 points and 7.2 assists per 40 minutes and is one of the better defenders at his position, though his focus at that end didn’t seem quite as strong after the trade from Dallas.

jhollinger@nysun.com