Where Joe Goes
The Marbury/Kidd Trade + Rod Thorn's Draft Night Moves. Reactions from around the league to the Nets' two big summer shake-ups.
Funny Business. Quotes from around our terribly humorous league, and beyond.
September 11th. Quotes centered around the terrorist attacks on America.
Gut Punch. Ow. Harsh words that may take the wind out of you.
Inspirational Verses. Good News for Modern Nets fans.

CNN/SI Basketball
Pretty amazing, entertaining site. Power rankings, NBA Week at a Glance, and great sort 'em yourself stat section.

NJ Online Nets Section
Nets news from the Newark Star Ledger. Don Burke, Nets beat, and Dave D'Alessandro, one of our favorite b-ball writers.

NYPost Sports Section
Freddy Kerber, Nets beat reporter, and you have to read Peter Vecsey Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Nobody is more "inside" than Vecsey. Phil Mushnik entertains Champagne on Fridays, Sundays and Mondays.

NBA.com
For obvious reasons. Links to every team site, plus a standings page that gives teams' conference rankings helps you chart Nets early drop from playoff picture.

Nets Salaries
Want to know why the Nets can't improve? Check this chart, along with all other team salaries, courtesy of USA Today. Their NBA section sometimes informative too.

Nets/NBA page, Bergen Record
Steve Adamek, Nets beat. Adrian Wojnarowski and Steve Adamek are two of the best pull-no-punches writers on the Nets.

NY Daily News Basketball page
Michael James, Nets beat

NY Times Basketball page
Liz Robbins, Nets beat. Mike Wise covers the league, and Champagne likes Harvey Araton's general sports columns.

Sporting News NBA Section
Excellent NBA coverage. We like both Sean Deveney's columns and his very entertaining Mailbag.

New Jersey Nets Photo Zone
Jim Poorten's site.

HoopsAvenue
NBA news, fantasy leagues plus.

InsideHoops.com
Large news and rumors clearinghouse.

American Red Cross,
Helping.org and Libertyunites.org
Relief Organizations.

"Quality People": The Marbury/Kidd Trade
"This can make my career go through the roof. I like playing on NBC and on TNT. When you play on national television, you play at a whole 'nother level."
- Stephon Marbury, June 28, 2001

"...the Nets made one of the shrewdest moves they've made in their otherwise grim history [...] To get [Kidd], the Nets sacrificed an enormously gifted 24-year-old, whose greatest moments were entirely his own." - Dave D'Alessandro, Newark Star Ledger, June 29, 2001

"...the Nets acquired the most accomplished point guard in the game [...] Kidd brings an even higher professionalism to the Meadowlands [than Marbury], and he has at least five great years ahead of him." - Mike Wise, New York Times, June 29, 2001

"It's very simple. We think Jason Kidd is the best all-around point guard in the NBA. We think he's a terrific player. Steph's a terrific player. We think this is a case of quality for quality." - Rod Thorn, June 28, 2001

"I'm very happy. This is a win-win. Both teams got what they want. Jason Kidd is the best all-around point guard in the league. When we chart pluses and minuses, he's always right there behind John Stockton as the most efficient point guard in the NBA. But I'm going to miss Stephon. I still think he is the most talented point guard offensively in the league." - Byron Scott, June 28, 2001

"'I don't care if you have the greatest players [i.e. Marbury and Van Horn], if they don't get along or they don't mesh ª whatever you want to call it ª you have to make a change,' said the member of the Nets front office who requested anonymity." - Don Burke, Newark Star Ledger, June 29, 2001

"He's been holding this franchise hostage since the moment he muscled his way here [...] The Nets had turned into a prisoner of his moods, held hostage to his disdain and distaste for everyone and everything in this losing organization [...] About his time with the Nets, Marbury, 24, declared, 'I can honestly say that it made me more mature.' Well, I can honestly say that's an absolute joke. This trade wouldn't have happened had Marbury matured as a Net. He walked into the locker room a self-absorbed, spoiled baby, and he leaves that way [...]

"Here's a little story a teammate tells about his first day on the job, a practice in Miami. Marbury had grown frustrated with John Calipari's incessant interruptions as he tried to scrimmage with his teammates on the practice court. When the workout was over, Marbury found a phone, called owner Lewis Katz, and declared he couldn't play for the tempestuous coach. The Nets were 3-17, anyway, and an overthrow of the despised coach was well under way. Still, the message out of Marbury was simple: This is my franchise now, all mine." - Adrian Wojnarowski, Bergen Record, June 29, 2001

"You don't trade a three-time first team All-NBA player. How is that going to sell tickets? [...] We didn't even get a courtesy call. We finally called Jerry [Colangelo, the Suns' CEO] and sarcastically thanked him." - Jason Kidd's piece-of-work wife Joumana on her Phoenix radio show "The Positive Side of Sports", June 28, 2001

"I know Jason Kidd and I know his wife, having been around him during the Olympics and U.S.A. Basketball. I think they're both quality people and I think whatever transpired, obviously they're still together." - Rod Thorn, June 28, 2001, referring to Kidd's misdemeanor assault charge last Jan 18th, when he was arrested for striking his wife during an argument over the feeding of their child, Trey. Kidd left the team, sought counselling, returned, and apologized in an address to 18,000 Suns fans

"Q: Since Kidd averaged seven points per game less than Marbury, who will pick up the missing offense?

"A: Shawn Marion thrived in the Phoenix system by running and scoring off the fast break and getting open for weak-side layups. Marion led the Suns with 17.3 points per game last season. Not that it's a completely accurate comparison, but Kenyon Martin might get the same kind of push from playing with Kidd.

"Q: Who is the better point guard, Marbury or Kidd?

"A: Depends on how you measure. Marbury is a point guard who can score, a first option in the offense. Allen Iverson plays a similar role for Philadelphia at times. And in addition to scoring a career-best 23.9 points per game last season, Marbury also averaged a career-best 7.6 assists per game. But the Nets were 70-124 with Marbury. Kidd is one of three players in NBA history to lead the league is assists three straight years, and the Suns have made the playoffs in all five of his seasons in Phoenix. If the bottom line is winning, it's Kidd." - Mitchell Krugel, Nets Q & A, Bergen Record, June 29, 2001

"He held Keith Van Horn under 20 points, every game." - Caller to WFAN on Stephon Marbury's terrific defense, as reported by Phil Mushnick, July 2, 2001

"Unable to take [Jason] Richardson [shooting guard who was drafted by the Golden State Warriors], and knowing that the Grizzlies would select Shane Battier, Thorn gambled that Houston would be interested. Working without a deal, but knowing from discussions he had leading up to the draft that the Rockets were willing to unload their first-round picks, Thorn made his selection.

"In Houston, [G.M. Carroll] Dawson picked up the phone. 'Do we have something to talk about?' Dawson recalled Thorn asking.

"'We sure do,' Dawson responded.

"Within 10 minutes, the Rockets had agreed to the trade. The teams kept a phone line open so Thorn could tell the Rockets which players to draft. The Rockets were not scared off by Griffin's history of fights with teammates, stretching from his senior year at Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia to Seton Hall in January, when Griffin was suspended for a game after punching Ty Shine. 'It didn't bother us; I can't speak for the other teams,' Dawson said. 'You do your background checks and we got nothing but good reports.'" - from Liz Robbins' report on Rod Thorns Draft night moves, New York Times, June 29, 2001

"Nets fans should be grateful Griffin is gone. He would've been a genuine Nets classic, a pick out of their polluted past, a sullen, uninspired kid honoring a long tradition of draft night embarrassments [...] In the old days, they would've embraced Griffin. They would've clung tight to him. They can't afford the embarrassment of his self-pitying act[ ...] They walked out of the first round with three players who have a chance to be players in the NBA, when this could've been a nightmare where they left themselves with just one, Eddie Griffin, who's going to be a big, big bust." - Adrian Wojnarowski, Bergen Record, from an article entitle "Good Riddance to a Malcontent," June 28, 2001

"I thought we had a terrific draft and for the first time in a month, a month and a half, I woke up with a big smile on my face, a sense of joy instead of wondering what we were going to do [...] We traded a stud and I think we got one stud back for sure in Richard Jefferson and we got two very good basketball players [in Collins and Armstrong]" - Byron Scott, June 28, 2001

"He is athletic and had a great workout and shot well, probably better than he ever shot. He's a tough kid and he won't back down from anyone. He has a lot of upside." - Hornets coach Paul Silas on Richard Jefferson, June 28, 2001

"Keith Van Horn must be traded. The Nets could have done more in the draft than adding a swingman (Jefferson) who never averaged more than 11.3 points in three years of college, a center with bad knees [Collins], and a guard (Armstrong) who's never seen a shot he didn't like. Wouldn't Troy Murphy have been a better pickup?" - John Rowe, Bergen Record, June 29, 2001

"Thorn views Jefferson, Collins and Pepperdine's Brandon Armstrong as roster fodder, er, assets, something the team conspicuously lacks. Especially in terms of big men who can make shots. More importantly, ownership doesn't have to overpay for veterans, particularly one at the mid-level $4.5M cap exception [...]

"Now comes word of the impending (soon as the clock strikes midnight, July 18) Sayonara to Stephon Marbury. [...] The packaging of point guards may or may not make the Nets better. But, in keeping with the grand scheme of the Garden State, it'll eventually reduce the budget and help avoid paying any luxury tax [...] Marbury has four more years left on his contract, worth $52M, while Kidd is on the clock for half that time for the relative bargain of $17.6M. [...]

"You've heard of winning at all cost. Meet the New Jersey Nets, proud practitioners of lose at no cost." - Peter Vecsey, June 29, 2001

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