Friday, May 21, 2004
Newsday.com - New York Nets
Kidd's tank ran out
Knee injury helped do him in, but teammates back him
BY GREG LOGAN
STAFF WRITER
May 21, 2004, 8:12 PM EDT
There are limits to what one athlete can do, and Jason Kidd reached his this season. As his scoreless performance in the Nets' 90-69 Game 7 loss to Detroit Thursday night in the Eastern Conference semifinals vividly illustrated, Kidd's tank was on empty and the Nets were going nowhere without him after reaching the NBA Finals the previous two seasons.
Kidd never used his injured left knee as an excuse for shooting 0-for-8, and he never even let his teammates know the extent to which he was hurting. But they felt his pain as they watched him struggle to the ignominious ending of the greatest period in the history of the Nets since they joined the NBA in 1976.
Kenyon Martin's reaction to Kidd's struggles typified the loyalty the Nets feel toward the player who has made them all better.
"He's a warrior," Martin said. "I don't know how much he's hurt, but I'm pretty sure he is. He's not going to let us know or let [the media] know. He's going to play. This is not about whether he makes shots or not. He's a great player, and I love playing with him." Now, Kidd makes an easy target for critics who blame him for the firing this season of coach Byron Scott and the hiring of Lawrence Frank and for the decision to sign free agent Alonzo Mourning despite health problems that ultimately led to a kidney transplant. But those are side issues. The only thing that really matters is whether Kidd can recover from his knee injury, which might require surgery, and return to peak form for the final five seasons of his contract.
Before his arrival, the Nets were 1-10 in NBA playoff series, including six times in which they were swept, and their overall playoff record was 9-30. With Kidd running the show, the Nets have a 7-3 series record, including three winning sweeps, and they are 32-19 overall in the postseason.
But Kidd paid a price for those 51 playoff games plus the games he played for the U.S. team in the 2002 world championships and in last summer's Olympic qualifying tournament.
Adding up the exhibition, regular season and playoff games Kidd played in the previous two seasons and factoring in the international play, Nets forward Richard Jefferson said, "You go 110 and then do USA, go 110 again and do USA, that's going to wear on a guy, especially a guy like Jason who's full of energy. At the end of the season, he's not going to have too much left."
There's no need for the Nets to panic or make drastic changes so long as Kidd is healthy when next season begins. It's not as though Eastern Conference finalists Detroit and Indiana have made a quantum leap ahead of the Nets. Assuming they sign Martin, who becomes a free agent on July 1, and Jefferson returns healthy from playing in the Olympics this summer in Athens, the Nets will have the three players they need to build around.
"If we all come back next year, we're the same team with the same goals," Martin said. "We just didn't get it done this year.
"It's disappointing. We've got to get guys healthy and go from there."
Kidd's tank ran out
Knee injury helped do him in, but teammates back him
BY GREG LOGAN
STAFF WRITER
May 21, 2004, 8:12 PM EDT
There are limits to what one athlete can do, and Jason Kidd reached his this season. As his scoreless performance in the Nets' 90-69 Game 7 loss to Detroit Thursday night in the Eastern Conference semifinals vividly illustrated, Kidd's tank was on empty and the Nets were going nowhere without him after reaching the NBA Finals the previous two seasons.
Kidd never used his injured left knee as an excuse for shooting 0-for-8, and he never even let his teammates know the extent to which he was hurting. But they felt his pain as they watched him struggle to the ignominious ending of the greatest period in the history of the Nets since they joined the NBA in 1976.
Kenyon Martin's reaction to Kidd's struggles typified the loyalty the Nets feel toward the player who has made them all better.
"He's a warrior," Martin said. "I don't know how much he's hurt, but I'm pretty sure he is. He's not going to let us know or let [the media] know. He's going to play. This is not about whether he makes shots or not. He's a great player, and I love playing with him." Now, Kidd makes an easy target for critics who blame him for the firing this season of coach Byron Scott and the hiring of Lawrence Frank and for the decision to sign free agent Alonzo Mourning despite health problems that ultimately led to a kidney transplant. But those are side issues. The only thing that really matters is whether Kidd can recover from his knee injury, which might require surgery, and return to peak form for the final five seasons of his contract.
Before his arrival, the Nets were 1-10 in NBA playoff series, including six times in which they were swept, and their overall playoff record was 9-30. With Kidd running the show, the Nets have a 7-3 series record, including three winning sweeps, and they are 32-19 overall in the postseason.
But Kidd paid a price for those 51 playoff games plus the games he played for the U.S. team in the 2002 world championships and in last summer's Olympic qualifying tournament.
Adding up the exhibition, regular season and playoff games Kidd played in the previous two seasons and factoring in the international play, Nets forward Richard Jefferson said, "You go 110 and then do USA, go 110 again and do USA, that's going to wear on a guy, especially a guy like Jason who's full of energy. At the end of the season, he's not going to have too much left."
There's no need for the Nets to panic or make drastic changes so long as Kidd is healthy when next season begins. It's not as though Eastern Conference finalists Detroit and Indiana have made a quantum leap ahead of the Nets. Assuming they sign Martin, who becomes a free agent on July 1, and Jefferson returns healthy from playing in the Olympics this summer in Athens, the Nets will have the three players they need to build around.
"If we all come back next year, we're the same team with the same goals," Martin said. "We just didn't get it done this year.
"It's disappointing. We've got to get guys healthy and go from there."
