<div class="quote_poster">AMS_ice Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I have to disagree with Mamba regarding Kidd's stock. It doesn't change. But Kidd was cheated from a chance to win with the Lakers. I do agree with Mamba saying that the Nets are screwed. Because they are. I don't take away the fact that Thorn did his job that enabled the Nets to back to finals appearances. I called him a jackass for how he is handling the situation now. Though I admire your optimism Kobimel, I have to say that it is all in vain. Don't get your hopes up. Because like I've said many a times. The Nets future has already been written by Thorn.</div>
Who said I'm getting my hopes up? All I said was, either we make the playoffs and have a chance to upset some teams (or lose in the 1st round, it doesn't matter either way as we're not getting to the Finals), or we don't and add another solid player to our young core for the future through the draft. Just because we don't have a chance to do anything this season, doesn't mean we're screwed. If Carter decides to stay (which right now, seems like a 50/50 chance), we can add a solid player or two (or three) through the draft and via our mid-level exception. If Carter leaves, his contract is off the books, and we can add a good player and a few decent role players with the added cap space and again, the draft. Either way, we don't get screwed and still are competitors for the division and maybe even the conference if we make the right moves.
Why do you think the Nets' future is already written? How will not winning now help Thorn when the team gets to Brooklyn? If Thorn doesn't want the team to win, then Kidd and Carter have no reason to stay, will ask for a trade, get traded and the Nets will arrive in Brooklyn with no real star. Who'll buy seats in the new arena to watch Richard Jefferson? Nobody. If Thorn really wants to take advantage of the new arena and new city, he'll need a main attraction to get asses in those seats. So, basically, if Thorn doesn't try to help the team in the remaining seasons in Jersey, the team will not arrive ready to attract a crowd in Brooklyn. Nobody will buy tickets to see a team who hasn't won for the last few seasons and has no great player. Here's the equation for you:
Winning now=Kidd+Carter staying
Main attraction=Kidd+Carter
Attracting crowd=having main attraction
Thus: Attracting crowd=Winning now
If Thorn tries to make the best team he can in the final seasons in New Jersey, the team will arrive in Brooklyn with a playoff reputation and at least one main attraction type of player (Kidd/Carter/both/a guy who gets traded for one of them), people in Brooklyn will want to watch the team and will buy tickets.
Thorn is handling the situation right now decently. Not the best, but certainly not the worst possible. I think we have to wait to see what happens in the draft and in the summer before we judge him.
Kidd does deserve to win, you're right. But you can't just take what he deserves/wants into consideration, you have to take the team's future and present needs into consideration too. Trading Kidd would've made the fans mad, brought really no help to the Nets in return and would basically be a bad decision. Gary Payton won a championship when he was 37 years old. John Sctockton never won one. A lot of great point guards have had to wait a long time in order to win a championship (some never did, like Johnny). Kidd can wait too. If the Nets continue to struggle for 2 more seasons, when his contract ends, he'll leave. And then he can get his championship. He is under contract with the Nets, you can't just jump ship because you want to win. Sure, he can demand a trade, but a)he doens't want to and b)the management might reject his request. So basically, Kidd is a Net right now, and he respects that. As long as he wants to stay a Net, why trade him, unless the team decides to rebuild (which isn't happening)?
