Diatribe #2 - August 29, 2007
International Man Of Mystery
Well, thus far, the latest batch of Dreamteamers led by Net captain Jason Kidd haven’t had much trouble dispatching their opponents in the FIBA Americas tournament being held in Las Vegas.   They’ve beaten their opponents ( Venezuela, US Virgin Islands, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico) by a combined score of 588 - 367, which last thus far left no doubt that the US squad means business.

And that’s why Kidd is back in the international arena after being excluded/ignored in favor of the younger generation, with disastrous results, over the past four years.  Steady the ship, help the team be a team, lead by example, and all that other stuff that Kidd brings to the table day in and day out, that somehow got overlooked by the geniuses in charge of creating a team after the last US Olympic gold medal win in 2000.

Based on what I've read (admittedly, I haven't seen a moment of action), they have hardly needed Kidd on the court. Which is a good thing for Netsfans. JKidd is averaging only 15.8 minutes per game thus far, along with (get this) a whopping 7 points. That's not an average, that's his total.

The ship also appears to have been steadied, with the US running up a 5- 0 record with three more games to play before the semifinals. Kidd will be working until September 2 no matter what, giving him about two weeks before training camp.

Of course, the action will get heavier next year once (and hopefully not if) the US wins or finishes second in this tournament and qualifies for a spot in the 2008 Bejing OIympics. (Lord help them if they have to qualify next year a month before the Olympics). But for now, anyway, based on the way things are going, Netsfans can breathe a sigh of relief that there isn't an over-reliance on Kidd's magic for the US squad. The kind of magic that would leave him worn out to start the 2007 - 2008 NBA season to come.

Since the Atlantic Division is no longer pathetic (and one could argue vastly improved), the Nets will need a good dose of Kidd to survive and conquer. The Celts are much improved, with KG and Ray Allen; the Raptors haven't changed all that much from last year's surprise; the Knicks reloaded with Zach Randolph; and even the Sixers will likely give the Nets fits with their young legs. The change of fortunes in the Atlantic make Kidd the key cog once again for New Jersey.

Of course, they'll need major improvement from Marcus Williams as well in his sophomore season. Could this be the year that someone finally plays well enough to get Kidd's minutes under 35 per game? The Nets need to hope so, especially since Kidd isn't getting any younger, and his window for achieving a championship is closing fast.

The great mystery then is what effect if any will this summer recreation have on Kidd and the Nets. Playing international ball is probably the right thing for Kidd to do, especially for a country embarassed by a 6th place showing last time out. The unknown of course is how the extra wear and tear will affect him as the season stretches on through 2007 into 2008. The key is to have Kidd fresh for the playoff run (and avoiding injury at all cost), and that's where Marcus Williams comes in.

Williams needs to show the Nets (and the rest of the NBA) that he's grown by leaps and bounds since last season, improving his conditioning, his decision making, and his defense. Unless he does all three things (and arguably more), once again Lawrence Frank isn't going to give him heavy minutes, especially with the game on the line. And the Nets need Williams, one of their better offensive players, to be on the court when the going gets tough and the clock ticks down.

Imagine Williams splitting defenders, weaving his way to the basket, and making the right pass at the right time. There is no problem with Williams taking it to the hoop, but he can't do it all the time. And we already know he can pretty much get into the paint at will, make a shot out of nothing, and even run and gun as well as Kidd can. But, if he doesn't make the right decisions with the ball more often, again the Nets will be forced to push Kidd toward that 40 minute mark.

And that would spell doom for the Nets. Oh, not as much doom as if Kidd were to get hurt for any stretch of time, but doom nonetheless.

For as much as we carp about the Nets lack of strength (and depth) up front, until now nothing has ground the Nets attack to a halt faster than an injured Kidd. And if the Nets can't play inside-out on occasion, it'll be up to the guards (including Vince Carter, who needs no help creating his own shot but is much better off if someone does it for him) to get things started.

Yes, we're worried about outside shotmaking as well - if the Nets can't keep defenses honest from the outside in, well then they'll be more packing of the paint then a Home Depot aisle. Robert Hite and hopefully someone else will either add to that problem, or else correct it. And there is no guarantee of correction with Eddie House gone and Kerry Kittles wearing the suit of a quasi-assistant coach.

Did someone say Keith Van Horn?

Could you imagine Sideshow Keith back in a Nets uniform, bombing away from the three point line while shying away from contact?

Hopefully the Nets aren't done yet looking for some more help from outside.

Let's face it - we'd all feel better if Jason Kidd were on some beach resting up before the new season to come. But he's not, and we'll have to wait to solve the mystery of whether or not he's got enough left in the tank to get it done this season. Really, is there much difference between Kidd playing extra games this summer, and Kidd having to play 40 minutes a game down the stretch run? Probably not.

He's not getting any younger, though. He needs every spot of tread he's got left on the tires, and then some. Here's hoping this isn't the year the tread starts to wear down quickly.

Or blow out.

So this international man of mystery is still the key to the Nets' upcoming season, just like he's been every year since his arrival (and no matter who was around to help him out). Is he up to the challenge of taking this Nets team to the next level after spending the summer Dreamteaming?

I guess we'll find out in a month or two.

For now, here's to a FIBA Americas title and a free pass to Bejing. It's up to you Mr. Kidd to deliver.
-Joe

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