NBA
BASKETBALL: ARE
THE NETS BETTER OFF WITHOUT STEPHON?
By MARCUS
A. HENRY
July 5, 2001
The New Jersey
Nets did a lot of wheeling and dealing this last week. None bigger however,
than the trade that sent Stephon Marbury to the Phoenix Suns for Jason
Kidd. Nets skeptics will tell you that it was all done in vain. On the
contrary, this may have been the best move the Nets have made since joining
the NBA.
There is no
doubt that Marbury is one of the league’s premier point guards, but his
relationship with Nets forward Keith Van Horn has been anything but roses.
Neither player seemed to respect the other's game, which resulted in a
very tense locker room. At some point one of the two were going to be traded
- the question was who was going to be shipped first, when and where.
In acquiring
Kidd, the Nets have done two things. They bring in the best playmaker in
the league, and they alleviate themselves of Marbury’s yearly $11 million
contract. Marbury is the superior scorer of the two, but Kidd is better
getting everyone involved and playing effective defense. If the Nets decide
not to send Van Horn to Utah for forwards Donyell Marshall and Bryon Russell,
this may revitalize Van Horn and boost his confidence. This will also enable
the Nets to get maximum usage out of oft-injured guard Kerry Kittles and
second year center Kenyon Martin.
Kidd has the
speed necessary to take any guard off the dribble and is the best in the
league at passing the ball in traffic. Even though Kidd shot 29 percent
from three - point range and 41 percent overall, a healthy Kittles and
a rejuvenated Van Horn can compensate for Kidd’s lack of touch.
This is not
to say the Nets could not have been successful with Marbury at the point,
but the accumulation of injuries and the increasing tension between Van
Horn and Marbury would have made it difficult for the Nets to grow as a
team. Rookies Brandon Armstrong, Richard Jefferson and Jason Collins, acquired
via a draft trade from Houston, give the Nets younger, fresher legs and
some more athleticism. If veteran guard Kendall Gill leaves and Kittles
cannot return to form, the Nets rookies will be expected to contribute
early and often. Kidd brings leadership to the court and the locker room.
He also brings a winning attitude to a team that is in dire need of direction.
Although Kidd only led the Suns to the second round of the playoffs once
during his five year tenure, he brings a fierce streak of competitive fire
and a willingness to make players around him better - not always the case
with Marbury. If head coach Byron Scott can get solid contributions from
the rookies and a more concentrated effort from Van Horn and Kittles, the
Nets will no longer be the pushovers they have been the last decade or
so.
*Note: The
trade will not be official until July 18th due to base compensation contract
issues. It is likely that the Suns will include F-C Chris Dudley and the
Nets will include F Johnny Newman and C Soumaila Samake in the deal to
allow the salaries to match.
