Crystal ballin'
The Future is Now?
Here we are - in the throes of a two game winning streak, feeling all sorts of pride for our proud and scrappy bunch of Nets. Well, Joe knows better. The team is not getting the most out of what talent it has - that much is obvious with a 16 - 34 record for the 50 games they've played thus far. Byron Scott has tried just about everything short of public floggings to get this team motivated. But it lacks heart, courage, character, and probably a brain as well.
Now the latest news is GM John Nash will not be retained at the end of the season, ending a 6 year affiliation with the team that has seen highs (the trade for Stephon Marbury, the drafting of Keith Van Horn) and lows (the trade for Jim McIlvaine, the drafting of Kerry Kittles). So the execution (and I use that word loosely around this bunch) of the revitalization of the franchise is now solely in the hands of President Rod Thorn and Coach Byron Scott, and for all we know, George Steinbrenner. Time to play out the string (and Scott STILL thinks the Nets can gain a playoff berth if they can get on a long winning streak?) and evaluate what's lying around the kitchen and see if it can be made into a stew or a souffle.
So, now I'd like to kick off the "second season", the one where we all look forward to next year, and see just what should change and what should remain the same.
Givens:
Stephon Marbury - he'll be around for a long time, the cornerstone of the franchise. But will perpetual losing embitter Steph to the point where he becomes a pompous, uncaring team divider? We already know that he doesn't have enough to work with - and given the salary cap issues the Nets have, he may not have much to work with for quite a long time.
Kenyon Martin - drafted #1 - will turn out to be a nice NBA player but not necessarily a dominant one. Spent all that money, so he'll stick around for awhile. Has a good attitude and is coachable.
Stephen Jackson - has earned the right to stick around next year by showing enough glimmer of talent to make him an ongoing project. Needs to stop making the same mistakes over and over, and play more defense. Can't argue with his ability to shoot and create a shot though, and how many Nets can say that?
Aaron Williams - has done more with less. Playing the center position and more minutes than anticipated, so he's wearing down fast. But with more forward minutes next year, he'll again be a significant contributor to the team, no matter what its configuration.
Coach Byron Scott - he has a master plan with Rod Thorn, we're told. So he gets another year to try to rebuild the team more in his vision. Unfortunately, it might take 3 years to turn the team around, and I'm not sure he has that much time, given the YankeeNets' reputation for patience. I've adjusted my opinion and my expectations for his success downward a bit - I'm not 100% convinced that either this team has quit on him at times, or that he has gotten the most out of this team with the talent that he has. I wish I knew.
Maybes:
Keith Van Horn - I wish I knew how both Byron and Rod felt about him. Significant offensive contributor, or massive talent who isn't reaching potential? I could see Keith moving on in the right deal for another talented big man (but whom?), and I could equally see Keith staying around and playing out his contract. Maybe I would have more of an idea had he not been hurt for the first 32 games, but right now I'm on the fence.
Lucious Harris - depends on what else is available, but the Nets need shooters and scorers, and there aren't a whole lot of them out there.
Johnny Newman - can still shoot, but not getting any younger. Has a contract for next year, and provides a veteran presence, but I could also see Scott wanting to give this role to Stephen Jackson.
Evan Eschmeyer - could stick as a cheap backup center, but oh how his stock has fallen this year.
Kerry Kittles - is he going to make a successful return from his knee troubles? Only the shadow seems to know.
Jamie Feick - can he possibly show anything the rest of this year to stick around? Lord knows they need the rebounding help.
No Ways:
Jim McIlvaine - I don't know what you do about the contract, but I can't possibly forsee a way he's still on the team next year. You're a thief, Jim.
Sherman Douglas - I like him a lot, but apparently neither Scott nor Thorn do. I'm sure they want a younger, faster backup for Steph next year. I hope I'm wrong, but I also hope Sherm has something left in the tank next year.
Soumaila Samake - I haven't seen even an ounce of potential - am I missing something?
Vladimir Stepania - somewhere, there's a better answer...
The Nets need a center, another forward who can score, and a shooting guard. Where they're gonna come from is beyond me at this point. Yes, there will be a high draft pick, but it's not an especially deep draft. Trading for some help will be difficult. So how to remake the team in Scott's image quickly and effectively? That's the struggle that continues in Netsland.
So even though the future is now - expect that future to be as vague as a George W. Bush answer on foreign policy. But that's ok, because as the Nets struggle next year to improve on this year's mess, the price for admission to the Arena is going up, so there should be plenty of empty seats again next year. And it will be up to us, Nets fans, to pay for the cleanup of this toxic waste dump. Welcome to life in the NBA.
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