Avery, you kind of threw two different topics into one...I understand they go hand and hand..but I seperate them.
Yes, I do agree I think Kidd's better days are behind him..but I for seen this about 2 years ago. You could tell the way Kidd faded the last two or three playoff years...that playing 100 games like he did from 01-03 takes its toll. The problem now is we held onto Kidd to long, we would never get equal value for him, now. Kidd is at the point where teams would try to job the Nets in a deal because they know exactly what we are discussing right now...they dont care that Kidd is still at worst a top 3 pg. Kidd's age + his contract almost in certainty means the Nets take back a couple of bad contracts back in any deal..So I rather just level with the fact that Kidd's production wont equal to that of two or three years ago. But his leadership can still clearly be effective. And hope that Carter, Jefferson and a developing Krstic takes away the need for great production from Kidd every night.
Anyway on too the talks of the Bucks, Cavs, Sixers etc being as good or better....Cleveland very strong home team..and I like what they have with their fowards everybody talks about James and Hughes out on the perimeter but I think what they have at the 4 spot is what really makes them stand out. You get alot of nice dimensions with that 1-2 punch of Marshall and Gooden. Honestly their arent alot of teams that can go two strong at the key power forward spot...But I still question whether they can win against quality teams on the road. And how long and how far can that point guard combination of Eric Snow and Damon Jones take them. I got love for DJ and respect for Snow...but I think no matter who the team is you need a little playmaking from your point guard spot. You need a guy who can at least create a little...Snow isnt a creator anymore,never really was and Damon Jones is a spot up player, who if his jumper isnt falling becomes a liablty because he cant defend or create. But I will admit that their strenghts out wieght their weakness right now...but until they beat a couple of quality road opponents..I still think we are better...because you know Kidd,Carter and Jefferson are experinced enough to produce on the road. But I think they do have the potentail to be better then us...mainly because of how strong they are on the frontcourt.
The Bucks...ahh no. Redd on a really quality team is a 2nd option not first nor franchise player. And win ever you have a guy who is really a 2nd option being a 1st option I think there is always a imagary wall of games you can win and how good you can be honestly. Also TJ Ford is good but I think teams for got that and that has open up different things for him then usual but as the year goes on I think teams will figure him out better and his play will go down a bit. And they rely alot on goes like Mo Williams and Bobby Simmons alot for big games inorder to win....good players but unproven. Simmons has only been quality for what about a season and Mo Williams had a decent stretch one year with the Jazz. But these guys roles might be to key inorder for the Bucks success, Iam not saying its fools goal. I just think they need to prove themselves. I see them ending somewhere between 40-45 wins at best...If the Nets play to their capablites they are a better team then that.
Sixers are interesting probly will be the stiftest competion to the Nets getting the Atlantic divison title as the season gets deep into the 2nd half...But I dont know I still think playing alongside Allen Iverson does not let young players like dre,kover and even Salmons to devlope at a strong pace. And that holds the 76ers back from being as strong as they can be overall. I think that when you have you parts like that a key ingrediants for your team you have to give the room to grow and except the makes and continue to have trust. Iverson at times looses that trust and in turn that is why you see him try to shoulder all of the load. I dont think that works in the long run cause you have some quality parts, who can help out. And are still young and effective. That style works to win games when you have guys like Tyrone Hill, Eric Snow, Aaron McKie and some of his past teammattes who made careers on not really looking to be apart of the offensive system in a major way and would just do all the dirty work...but this team is much different...the more those young parts are in the offensive system along with Webber the better and more effective this team will be....so the Sixers wont get stronger until Allen Iverson accepts that imo.
And the Wizards, I dont know Jamison can score in a vertity of ways and could be one of the hardest front court guys in the league to guard. But he has a couple of problems he cant really create his own shot that wellas a go to guy and the guard that he relies to get him the basketball is named Gilbert Arenas. If Eddie Jordan allowed Arenas to pass the basketball off the backboard all night to himself, he'd much rather do that then pass to anybody else in a Blue Jersey. So the ball movement on the Wizards looks terrible alot of the times with all that one on one play out on the perimeter. So I just dont see how a team like Washington can be considered a stronger team in the long run then us...honestly Eddie Jordan probably will never admitt it because the Wiz won 45 games last year. And will probably win the same again this season, but I know he cant feel that he is getting true use of the motion offense with Arenas at the pg. And I think Jamsion would really benefit from a all scale motion offnse, he seems to have the game for it. But the Wiz right now are content with being average which is what a 42-45 win team is....I think the Nets are above that in the long run.
As for the Nets we definately arent as stong as expected right now...but I look at in two ways...thing we cant fix and things we can and will get better and fix.
First off things we cant fix, we cant fix our frontcourt problems..Only way to do that is thru trade, which will be hard to accomplish without giving up another key area. so we just have to hope that once Colins returns guys just do their rolls that are expected of them...Collins must be our best frontcourt on-ball defend, Krstic must continue to be our low post threat, Marc Jackson must bring a pshyical pressence to the frontcourt....and Robinson must give us that 2nd defensive guy behind Collins to throw on stud bigs around the league. If guys just do their rolls that are exoected then we can be all right with what we have now...they might not do much exceptional to win games most not.but they will be solid enough not to cost us alot of games.
Also I think our bench will get better and has already showed signs of doing just that...I think right now injuries have certain guys out of their rolls and elements. Right now, Collins being out moves Robinson into a starters role, which really hurts the bench especially defensively, because now Padgett has to play big minutes at the 4 spot in the 2nd unit. Padgett can make a jumper every once and a while, but cant guard a table standing still. And its costly, just look at the way Troy Murphy tore him up when Robinson went to the bench in the 2nd half of the game vs Golden State earlier tonight...so when the 2nd units adjusted to their nature roles of what they will play all year...I think it will improve our team greatly..the problem is we will have to be healthy for guys to get adjusted to their true roles....Collins has to get back and be stable in the lineup, not play one game and the miss the next 1 or 2, it confuses the rotation.
Health is also a think that you cant really fix..but will be a major concern all year. But it seems that Collins who in years past was the rock in the lineup, you could always expect him..now seems to be in & out, Kidd is always at risk. And well Carter might be on the shelf as we speak. So this team definately is only as good as their healthy allows them to be...but if heatlhy they are a 48-49 win team in my opion over a course of a 82. That is more then the Wiz, 76ers and Bucks...Cavs, I dont know if they are a strong, not great but solid road team, then they are probably 50 wins, slightly.
