<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">How can you say that? Don't you notice how he's improving? When he was in college, dunking and defense are his only good points. Look at him now. Take a look at his stats year after year. </div>
I noticed he's improving, but not to the level where he's worth max money. Look at the power forwards making max money and deserving it. Dirk, KG, TD, JO. Do you really consider Martin on this level? They're the focal point of their teams. They lead their teams to victory. Kenyon doesn't lead his team to victories. As said before, he plays off of Kidd and his improvement is dependent on Kidd getting him easy buckets. Yes, he has improved tremendous amounts but he's still far away from those four. Even more so, he's not even on Elton Brand level, and EB can't lead his team to a .500 record. So no, he's not worth max money.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">Not with an impending surgery to his knees. Besides, wouldn't you want someone alongside RJ when he himself reaches his peak? Just imagine how much damage KMart and RJ can do together. What will happen after two years with Kidd? What will happen with KMart after two years? Oh yeah, a 20/10 guy.</div>
Wow, 20/10 doesn't say much. Elton Brand gets 20/10. Shareef got 20/10. Zach Randolph gets 20/10. What's common about all these players? They don't win. They haven't lead their teams to wins. Jason Kidd has led his team to wins. He leads deep into the finals. He instills confidence in them. He elevates his teams to different levels of achievement. So if I had to choose between a 20/10 guy like EB, SAR, or Z-Bo, or a proven winner, I'd take the winner each and every time.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">It's called looking for the high percentage shot. Besides, why would KMart force himself to make the assist to a cutter if the plays call for him to be the recipient?
</div>
Cutters get baskets through layups..I thought that was obvious.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">KMart did play his heart out. But if you're playing against those two guys WITHOUT ANY RELIEVERS, you'll be bound to be in foul trouble, injuries and mistakes.
</div>
I didn't see foul trouble stop KG from geting 24, 14, 5, 2, 2 in the playoffs. I didn't see KG not call for the ball each and every possession. I have seen Martin passive and not aggressive enough to take the game into his hands. I haven't seen Martin step up and give us the much needed basket. Till that time, he doesn't deserve a max contract, plain and simple.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">If you think that he's not worth the max and I think he's worth it, there's no way that we should discuss this because it just wouldn't make sense for both of us.</div>
I don't see how any rationale, knowledgeable basketball fan could think that Martin's worth max contract. Make a post in the NBA discussion forum asking if Martin's worth the max. I doubt you'll get many people that agree.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">Well do you really want him to do those chants when you're losing? </div>
I want him to be just as fired when we're down as when we're up.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">When I say emotional leader, he infuses toughness and energy to the team. </div>
When we're winning, yes.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">You're not supposed to win every game. </div>
That's a pathetic attitude. I hope you're not a coach. When you go into a game you believe you win. If you don't, you might as well not show up.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">Would you think that KMart will let the team suffer from mental anguish after losses? Of course not.</div>
How do you know? Are you in the locker room?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">He'll say something like they won't make any excuses for the loss and will just come back stronger for the next game.</div>
He doesn't act upon it, apparently.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">RJ is still not there. If you fail to notice, KMart does damage on both the offensive and defensive end when the game is on the line. </div>
I don't question Martin's ability. I say he doesn't deserve max contract. I really don't see what's so hard to understand and see that. Do you really want to see him turn into an overpaid player unable to lead a team and we can't get rid of his huge bloated contract a la Antoine Walker?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">Of course, there's not much a guy can do when you're losing by 20 points and a minute left on the clock.
</div>
That was the most random statement.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">I got your point that's why I wouldn't want to comment on that. But for the record, Antawn and Howard lacks the toughness and the effect that KMart has. </div>
Agreed, but they're still overpaid.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">Besides, why are you always saying that KMart failed to carry the team. You think Kidd did all the carrying around during the 2 times they're in the championship? </div>
In terms of making the team win, yes. In terms of straigtening out the franchise, yes. In terms of making Kmart and RJ a bettter player, yes. I would say that Kidd deserves his contract.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">Kidd may be the brain of the team but KMart is the heart.
</div>
That's the biggest cliche there is about the Nets. I can't believe you resorted that. And I'll say it again, Martin is REPLACABLE, Kidd is NOT.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">Wow, you're one of the few who can say that.</div>
I'm probably one of the few Nets fans that see that, but if you're talking about NBA fans, look at what other people say.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">You really think he backed down from these guys?! Believe me, not having any kind of help in the frontline will make you suffer and during all his stay in NJ</div>
Yes I do believe he backed down from these guys. Did you watch him play? He was so passive. He didn't play his heart out. He didn't play like there was nothing left of him. He just took it, and it was sad.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">he's the only one who knows how to play offense and defense in the low post. </div>
That's not really saying much, but he failed to even do that at a high max contract player level.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">There's more to KMart than his "entertaining plays". He scores, rebounds, steal and block shots. </div>
Maybe he's just turning into a good stats player and not a franchise player.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">While also being one of the top post defenders in the league. </div>
There's not many good post defenders in the league. There's KG, TD, JO, Shaq, Ben, Sheed....that's already 6 and I can't think of many more. Maybe Brand, or Ratliff. Still being a top post defender doesn't have much competition these days. I'm not knocking Kmart's defense. It is top line, but he has to be more than that if the Nets want to win. And to me, he's great against weak competition, but is mediocre against tougher.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">You're simply taking it against KMart that he's all alone down low while guarding 2-4 great big men at a time in the court.</div>
I'm taking it out on Kmart because so many great 4s and 5s players before him have played awesome alone against great frontlines. Hakeem did. KG did. TD did. Shaq did. If he played great and lost, then I have not problem. But he didn't. He just took the beating and played horriffic. This isn't just one time, this is multiple time. History has shown that he hasn't played well against elite players. And while I want him to stay at the Nets, not at the price tag he's asking.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Henacy:</div><div class="quote_post">So what if Dr. J was gone by the time the Nets joined the nba? He is still the most important payer in Nets history. He is still the all-time face of this franchise He led us to 2 aba titles & his place infront of kidd shouldnt even be considered a debate,no matter when he left.
</div>
I agree. Dr. J has done more for the franchise than Kidd.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Henacy:</div><div class="quote_post"> Rick Barry was the very 1st face of this franchise, nobody even knew who the Nets were before Barry came to the squad, we had players like Doc Tart etc. He is really the one that put the Nets on the map because he was a superstar in the nba before he came to use, so for a big superstar to make the change from the NBA to basically a new-unknown ABA franchise was a big deal. So as far as"building" the Nets franchise & history Rick Barry is in front of kidd as well.
</div>
I never knocked on Rick Barry and what he has done for the Nets. But he had not matched Kidd's achievements with the Nets. He was only with the Franchise for two years, barely kept the team over .500 and didn't take the Nets anywhere. The Nets averaged more points allowed than points scored. Perhaps it wasn't Barry's fault this happened.
I don't know where you're getting about giving face to the Nets when he was only here for two seasons and not even very good seasons.
Kidd took the franchise to a 52-30 record, first in the East when he got here. He took them to an Eastern Conference championship, and the Finals. That's more than Barry has ever done for the Nets and which is why Kidd is ranked above Barry.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Henacy:</div><div class="quote_post">And to say Kidd has more status in Nets history then Buck Williams is overratting kidds accomplishments imo. I love & respect the fact kidd took us to the finals 2 years in a row. And all, but that still doesnt put him in front Buck Williams.
Buck Williams was our 1st really great draft pick during our NBA history. And his 7 straight years of averaging a double- double may never be matched again in Nets history. He set a legacy that every bigman in Nets history(past present, & future can only hope to obtain.).And kidd taking us to the finals in the water down east, doesnt even come close to building that type of legacy imo.</div>
Have you ever seen Buck Williams play? He wasn't a great player by any means. He was solid, tough one, no doubt. He was like Horace Grant, a bit better but a lot smaller for a big guy. He was a great rebounder and got his points off of offensive rebounding and putbacks. But he was hardly the leader of the team. WHen he joined the team started going to the playoffs, but they never even won 1 game. They were swept each and every year except 1984. And in that year, Buck wasn't leading the team. It was Darryl Dawkins and Otis Birdsong (though Otis was oft-injured). And then after that Nets got swept or didn't even make the playoffs. So in all the years Buck was here, he won 4 playoff games. Kidd since coming to the Nets has averaged 11 playoff wins per season. In Buck's 8 years with the Nets, only 1 time has he had a season where he had more wins than Jason's average wins with the Nets.
Don't give me the bull about being in a watered-down East. 52, 46, 47 wins is impressive. Two finals appearances. Two EC banners. Broke the assists, wins, steals and most consecutive wins franchise records is impressive, no matter who it is. Did Buck do this? No. Did Rick do this? No. It was Kidd. Only player that has grounds is Dr. J when he took the Nets to the ABA championship.
I don't want to knock either Buck or Barry cause they have played with for the Nets, but they are no way considered higher than Kidd in accomplishments. The banners, barring the ABA wons, were hung because of Kidd.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Henacy:</div><div class="quote_post">Thats like reaching the top of the Twin Towers,on foot, without starting at the 1st floor, it just cant happen. Those cats built this.</div>
I don't understand what you're getting at here. The Nets have been the laughing stock of the NBA pre-Kidd era. They were pile drived into the ground. Your statements work with franchises like the Celtics or Lakers, but not the Nets. They were the three Hs: horrific, horendous, and horrible. No one respected the Nets outside of Nets fans. Playing the Nets meant a garunteed win. There was no goals for the Nets, no expectations. Not until Kidd came and turned them around into winners. Gave some respect to the Nets. Made Nets fans proud to be fans. And that's what I'm talking about when I say Kidd made this franchise.