ducks
10-03-2004, 10:38 AM
BY DAVE D'ALESSANDRO
Star-Ledger Staff
He's not even around anymore, but this Nets season -- starting with this training camp -- is all about Kenyon Martin. He wasn't merely one of the premier power forwards in the NBA, he was a 240-pound domino: His departure has weakened them athletically, on the boards, on defense, and in transition, and there isn't another player alive who can fill that void.
The Nets have traded away All-Star forwards before -- among them Julius Erving, Buck Williams and Derrick Coleman -- and whether they actually recovered is a subject for debate. But somehow, this is different: In one move, the Nets not only announced that they are no longer interested in paying to price of doing business, they told the world that they are waiting for the clock to run out on their tenure in New Jersey.
Advertisement
Now the only remaining question is how much time Jason Kidd -- who plays to win and deserves to play for a winner -- has left.
A camp preview:
FIVE QUESTIONS FACING THE NETS
1. How's Jason's knee? "(He's done) everything the doctor has asked and his rehab is going perfectly," GM Ed Stefanski reports. Which doesn't answer the question, really, because he is still at least a few weeks away from attempting anything on a basketball court -- running, sliding, jumping, shooting, etc. Beyond that, it could be another month before his knee can sustain practice contact. As for being in a game, be prepared to wait. The Nets would be delirious if he wanted his uniform back by Thanksgiving.
2. How's Jason's head? That's more complicated. If you were to ask someone like Byron Scott, you'll hear this: "He has to be (upset), but it won't affect the way he plays. Jason goes all out. He only knows one way to play." Really? If memory serves, Kidd didn't exactly go all-out for Scott last December, but he played out of his mind for Frank in January and February. He's human, and his performance is directly influenced by how he feels about the team's future.
3. When will Jason be traded? If he makes up his mind he doesn't want to play here, he will exert graduated pressures on Rod Thorn to move him. And when he gets back to full strength, there won't be any shortage of low-ball offers from teams that have draft picks and bad contracts.
4. Are there any questions that don't pertain to Jason? Well, a few. Is Richard Jefferson ready to be a star, which is the only thing that will keep this team afloat? Can Alonzo Mourning give this team 20 minutes per game, which everyone would consider a major triumph? Who is going to emerge as the starting power forward? Who is even qualified to be the starting point guard? And most important....
5. Can Lawrence Frank get them to overachieve? Of course he will, because he has no choice. Players know when they're overmatched on paper, which they are. But if he can re-define them as a defensive monster -- and they have that capability -- they'll surprise some people.
FIVE THINGS YOU'LL SEE
1. A style shift: They're likely to morph into a halfcourt, post-oriented team -- especially if Zo can contribute -- and they'll have to win games like all of those teams do, with a plodding, methodical, deliberate style that will complement their defense. They have no choice. They have no point guard.
2. Intriguing offers: By midseason, you'll hear names such as Vince Carter, Ron Artest, and Ray Allen being offered up for Kidd. The Nets would be better served pursuing some young athletes (Jason Terry and Marquis Daniels?) and a slew of expiring contracts, however.
3. An RJ Show: He'll get 20 shots per game, and he'll probably finish among the top 12 scorers in the league.
4. Empty seats: You've seen it before around here: great, gaping, vacant purple spaces that make players cringe and owners nauseous. They were 26th in attendance last season; if they were 26th again this season, they'd throw a party.
5. Cheap seats: They have 3,000 available per game at $15. Sales started Friday, so there's no word on how they're selling.
FIVE THINGS YOU WON'T SEE
1. Kenyon Martin: For four years, he was a game-breaker like none the Nets have had since Derrick Coleman's first few years in the league. He single-handedly intimidated teams, and did the four-spot grunt work better than anyone in the East outside of Indiana. His absence will be profound.
2. A race to the finish: Could they make the playoffs? In the Atlantic Division, where mediocrity is now the norm, anything is possible.
3. A clear path to Brooklyn: They're not likely to ship out until 2008 or 2009, if at all. But you'll hear all those clever guys on SportsCenter refer to them as the Brooklyn Nets from here on out.
4. Bruce Ratner's face: The only place it is likely to show up is on some angry fan's placard, which, come to think of it, has great artistic possibilities.
5. National exposure: There's only one game on ABC, two on TNT, and two on ESPN. The league isn't stupid: Out of those five, only their first ESPN appearance (the opener against Miami) is at the Arena, because they don't need a national TV audience staring at a game with no audience.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
1. Richard Jefferson: For now and for the foreseeable future, it's his team. But since he'll get the lion's share of the shots and draw the toughest defensive assignment every night, he could wear out.
2. Alonzo Mourning: He is one of the giants in the business, but he feels his business is unfinished. How hard can he push himself without putting his life in jeopardy? Factoid: Following his own kidney transplant, Sean Elliott averaged 20 minutes in 19 games in his first year and 24 in 52 games in his second year before retiring. But he didn't play half as hard as Zo does.
3. Jason Kidd: Somebody count the number of times he says, "I never asked for a trade" this year. It might actually match the number of times he said he supported Byron.
4. Ron Mercer: Somebody has to step up, and if he ever becomes a reliable shooter again, it will take a lot of pressure off Jefferson.
INJURY REPORT
There are none worth noting besides Kidd's knee and Mourning's comeback attempt from transplant surgery.
KEY ADDITIONS
1. Bruce Ratner: Pretty neat trick. He's been on the job for four months, and he's already more infamous than Roy Boe.
2. John Kuester/Bill Cartwright: These are the two new assistant coaches, joining Brian Hill and Tom Barrise. Their enthusiasm and expertise will go a long way toward helping Frank get this group to overachieve -- not to mention helping Zoran Planinic and Nenad Krstic find their way in the league.
3. Eric Williams: Solid player, superb defender, and when it comes to locker room leaders, there's nobody better. They need his sage head more than ever.
KEY LOSSES
1. Kenyon Martin: He's in Denver, where he'll turn the Nuggets into a legitimate title contender.
2. Kerry Kittles: Now with the Clippers, he's going to miss their preseason camp as he recovers from a knee scope.
3. Rodney Rogers/Lucious Harris: Rodney's in New Orleans, with Byron Scott. Lu signed Friday with the Cavaliers.
PRACTICE TIMES
They'll have two-a-days for most of this week, with sessions at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. There's only one session scheduled for Thursday and Sunday (both 11 a.m.), however. Details for the annual open practice at Continental Arena have yet to be finalized, so stay tuned.
DIRECTIONS
Don't ask, they don't want you there. But just in case you ask, the Champion Center, is located at 390 Murray Hill Parkway in East Rutherford. From Route 17, go east on Union Avenue. At the first stop sign, turn right onto Murray Hill Parkway. The facility is the fourth building on the left
Star-Ledger Staff
He's not even around anymore, but this Nets season -- starting with this training camp -- is all about Kenyon Martin. He wasn't merely one of the premier power forwards in the NBA, he was a 240-pound domino: His departure has weakened them athletically, on the boards, on defense, and in transition, and there isn't another player alive who can fill that void.
The Nets have traded away All-Star forwards before -- among them Julius Erving, Buck Williams and Derrick Coleman -- and whether they actually recovered is a subject for debate. But somehow, this is different: In one move, the Nets not only announced that they are no longer interested in paying to price of doing business, they told the world that they are waiting for the clock to run out on their tenure in New Jersey.
Advertisement
Now the only remaining question is how much time Jason Kidd -- who plays to win and deserves to play for a winner -- has left.
A camp preview:
FIVE QUESTIONS FACING THE NETS
1. How's Jason's knee? "(He's done) everything the doctor has asked and his rehab is going perfectly," GM Ed Stefanski reports. Which doesn't answer the question, really, because he is still at least a few weeks away from attempting anything on a basketball court -- running, sliding, jumping, shooting, etc. Beyond that, it could be another month before his knee can sustain practice contact. As for being in a game, be prepared to wait. The Nets would be delirious if he wanted his uniform back by Thanksgiving.
2. How's Jason's head? That's more complicated. If you were to ask someone like Byron Scott, you'll hear this: "He has to be (upset), but it won't affect the way he plays. Jason goes all out. He only knows one way to play." Really? If memory serves, Kidd didn't exactly go all-out for Scott last December, but he played out of his mind for Frank in January and February. He's human, and his performance is directly influenced by how he feels about the team's future.
3. When will Jason be traded? If he makes up his mind he doesn't want to play here, he will exert graduated pressures on Rod Thorn to move him. And when he gets back to full strength, there won't be any shortage of low-ball offers from teams that have draft picks and bad contracts.
4. Are there any questions that don't pertain to Jason? Well, a few. Is Richard Jefferson ready to be a star, which is the only thing that will keep this team afloat? Can Alonzo Mourning give this team 20 minutes per game, which everyone would consider a major triumph? Who is going to emerge as the starting power forward? Who is even qualified to be the starting point guard? And most important....
5. Can Lawrence Frank get them to overachieve? Of course he will, because he has no choice. Players know when they're overmatched on paper, which they are. But if he can re-define them as a defensive monster -- and they have that capability -- they'll surprise some people.
FIVE THINGS YOU'LL SEE
1. A style shift: They're likely to morph into a halfcourt, post-oriented team -- especially if Zo can contribute -- and they'll have to win games like all of those teams do, with a plodding, methodical, deliberate style that will complement their defense. They have no choice. They have no point guard.
2. Intriguing offers: By midseason, you'll hear names such as Vince Carter, Ron Artest, and Ray Allen being offered up for Kidd. The Nets would be better served pursuing some young athletes (Jason Terry and Marquis Daniels?) and a slew of expiring contracts, however.
3. An RJ Show: He'll get 20 shots per game, and he'll probably finish among the top 12 scorers in the league.
4. Empty seats: You've seen it before around here: great, gaping, vacant purple spaces that make players cringe and owners nauseous. They were 26th in attendance last season; if they were 26th again this season, they'd throw a party.
5. Cheap seats: They have 3,000 available per game at $15. Sales started Friday, so there's no word on how they're selling.
FIVE THINGS YOU WON'T SEE
1. Kenyon Martin: For four years, he was a game-breaker like none the Nets have had since Derrick Coleman's first few years in the league. He single-handedly intimidated teams, and did the four-spot grunt work better than anyone in the East outside of Indiana. His absence will be profound.
2. A race to the finish: Could they make the playoffs? In the Atlantic Division, where mediocrity is now the norm, anything is possible.
3. A clear path to Brooklyn: They're not likely to ship out until 2008 or 2009, if at all. But you'll hear all those clever guys on SportsCenter refer to them as the Brooklyn Nets from here on out.
4. Bruce Ratner's face: The only place it is likely to show up is on some angry fan's placard, which, come to think of it, has great artistic possibilities.
5. National exposure: There's only one game on ABC, two on TNT, and two on ESPN. The league isn't stupid: Out of those five, only their first ESPN appearance (the opener against Miami) is at the Arena, because they don't need a national TV audience staring at a game with no audience.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
1. Richard Jefferson: For now and for the foreseeable future, it's his team. But since he'll get the lion's share of the shots and draw the toughest defensive assignment every night, he could wear out.
2. Alonzo Mourning: He is one of the giants in the business, but he feels his business is unfinished. How hard can he push himself without putting his life in jeopardy? Factoid: Following his own kidney transplant, Sean Elliott averaged 20 minutes in 19 games in his first year and 24 in 52 games in his second year before retiring. But he didn't play half as hard as Zo does.
3. Jason Kidd: Somebody count the number of times he says, "I never asked for a trade" this year. It might actually match the number of times he said he supported Byron.
4. Ron Mercer: Somebody has to step up, and if he ever becomes a reliable shooter again, it will take a lot of pressure off Jefferson.
INJURY REPORT
There are none worth noting besides Kidd's knee and Mourning's comeback attempt from transplant surgery.
KEY ADDITIONS
1. Bruce Ratner: Pretty neat trick. He's been on the job for four months, and he's already more infamous than Roy Boe.
2. John Kuester/Bill Cartwright: These are the two new assistant coaches, joining Brian Hill and Tom Barrise. Their enthusiasm and expertise will go a long way toward helping Frank get this group to overachieve -- not to mention helping Zoran Planinic and Nenad Krstic find their way in the league.
3. Eric Williams: Solid player, superb defender, and when it comes to locker room leaders, there's nobody better. They need his sage head more than ever.
KEY LOSSES
1. Kenyon Martin: He's in Denver, where he'll turn the Nuggets into a legitimate title contender.
2. Kerry Kittles: Now with the Clippers, he's going to miss their preseason camp as he recovers from a knee scope.
3. Rodney Rogers/Lucious Harris: Rodney's in New Orleans, with Byron Scott. Lu signed Friday with the Cavaliers.
PRACTICE TIMES
They'll have two-a-days for most of this week, with sessions at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. There's only one session scheduled for Thursday and Sunday (both 11 a.m.), however. Details for the annual open practice at Continental Arena have yet to be finalized, so stay tuned.
DIRECTIONS
Don't ask, they don't want you there. But just in case you ask, the Champion Center, is located at 390 Murray Hill Parkway in East Rutherford. From Route 17, go east on Union Avenue. At the first stop sign, turn right onto Murray Hill Parkway. The facility is the fourth building on the left