New Jersey Nets 2006 midseason NBA breakdown

NEW JERSEY NETS 28-23

What’s changed: After a 9-game winning streak, the Nets have led the Atlantic Division in play ever since. Now only 3½ separate them from the Sixers and their big three might not be enough to stop them.

Kidd, Carter and Jefferson have led the team. Kidd’s 14-7-7 isn’t as good as last year, but it’s still excellent. Carter and Jefferson contribute 42.7 of their 94 points. Nenad Krstic also calmly contributed 12.7.

However, those are all the stats for the Nets. Those four deprived more than half of the team’s points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Their supporting cast is shallow to say the least, and aside from a few bright spots, they’re pretty grim. Lamond Murray and Jeff McInnis have missed 40% of the year, leaving Scott Padgett and Jacque Vaughn to make up for production.

Jason Collins and Krstic frequently get into foul trouble, so there is a need for at least one semi-deep bench. Plus, the only stat the Nets dominate is assists, all thanks to Jason Kidd. But all his stats are basically mediocre. There are no areas in which they are strictly horrible, but few that lead.

Jason Kidd was at his best when he could deliver the ball to the players running down the court with him. While Carter and Jefferson are fine at it, the rest of the team suffers from their age. Guys like Cliff Robinson and Marc Jackson won’t run the court when they’re healthy and for some of them that’s not a guarantee.

New Jersey will go as far as Carter, Kidd and Jefferson take it. If only one of them gets injured (especially Kidd), you can say goodbye to the Red season. Otherwise, they should have enough to keep the 76ers at bay in the division.