#5 Jason Kidd
Player File
Kidd came from the Phoenix Suns over the summer along with Chris Dudley (since waived) in exchange for Stephon Marbury, Johnny Newmman, and Soumaila Samkake. Kidd's 28 and has been in the league for seven years. For four of those he's been an All-star, three times as a starter, once as a reserve. He's the Nets' Team Captain.

2001 - 2002 Kidd Honors:
• Named NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month for October/November 2001. Kidd averaged 13.3 points, 9.6 assists, 7.6 rebounds and 18 steals as the Nets got off to a 10 -5 start in the combined months.
• All-Star reserve.
• Named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week on February 4th, 2002, for his triple-double performances against the Bucks and the Raptors.
• Named to the NBA's 2001-2002 All-Defensive Team

Jason Kidd – PG
Joe: Considered to be one of the best all-around point guards in the NBA. Domestic troubles led him out for a change of scenery, but he's not considered a disruptive player. Has big shoes to fill, but as a four time All Star and as more of a Byron Scott - type player, should thrive in New Jersey. At least as much as anyone can. Top flight defender who rebounds extremely well for a guard. Will lead a more balanced offense, but who will score off the no-look passes? Look for several if not more triple doubles this season. If he's given some weapons (this means you, Keith), he could lead the Nets out of the playoff wilderness. But we said that about Stephon last year, didn't we?

Champagne: Kidd for Marbury was about as one-for-one trade as Rod Thorn was going to get. Marbury's four years younger and his upside potential is still considerable, but his freelance two-guardish ways and his bad chemistry with Van Horn just didn't suit team needs (it's worth it to remember that Kidd spent a few Seasons in Dissension on a horrible Mavericks team in the mid '90s. I can't imagine Marbury having anything but better seasons ahead of him. It just couldn't happen here). Acquiring Kidd rather than offloading Van Horn is either a telling comment on Keith's plummeting trade value or a signal that Thorn plans on creating a team that can shoot straight, rather than a band of medium-priced also-rans to stand around and watch a superstar take solos. Regardless, now there can be no more excuses. In Kidd the Nets picked up a rock-solid heir to John Stockton and an All-star veteran who can only make the new crop of young guys and the scattering of slightly older question marks (Van Horn, Kittles, MacCulloch) better.

2001 - 2001 Nets Roster
Brandon Armstrong - G
Jason Collins - C
Jamie Feick - F
Lucious Harris - G
Richard Jefferson - F
Kerry Kittles - G
Todd MacCulloch - C
Kenyon Martin - F
Brian Scalabrine - F
Keith Van Horn - F
Aaron Williams - PF/C

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