"Jefferson and Carter audition to stay with Nets"

[Nyce_1 311]

I found this article online. Pretty good read talking about either Jefferson or Carter won't be back next season and the team going to trade one of them for some front court help. The writer even references Orlando as a destination for Vince if he opts out. Enjoy!

quote:

No hard evidence suggests that Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson have the kind of tense non-relationship shared by Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. No him-or-me, me-or-him body language defines their awkward spacing on the court.

 

But in the end, New Jersey simply isn't big enough for both. Nor is Brooklyn, for that matter. The Nets could conceivably win Game 3 tonight at Continental Arena and come back from this 0-2 second-round deficit to beat Cleveland, and they still won't win the NBA title.

 

Chances are, they'll never win it all with Carter, Jefferson and Jason Kidd as their top three guns.

 

"Are those three guys good enough to win a championship? Yes," Rod Thorn said Friday. "But it depends on who the other pieces are. We need another piece or two in size to help out there if you want to win an NBA title."

 

The Nets have the right talent and the wrong balance. Though Carter and Jefferson are hardly mirror images of each other, they simply overlap a bit too much.

 

Rod Thorn needs to trade one for a bigger body, and I'd bet all the millions Bruce Ratner's going to make on his real estate score in Brooklyn that Thorn will do that deal this summer. He'll either move Jefferson like he almost did in last year's bid to land Luol Deng, or he'll complete a sign-and-trade deal with the free agent-to-be, Carter, to fortify his front line.

 

If you have three high-priced players, one of them absolutely, positively, has to be what basketball people love to call a "big." So if this is to be the Nets' last postseason series of the year, Carter and Jefferson will play the ultimate game within the game, a two-man duel that is a cross between "Survivor" and "American Idol."

 

Part endurance test, part audition.

 

Who stays? Who goes?

 

I'm still putting my money on the Jefferson train leaving town. I've thought all along that Thorn would re-sign Carter, who sells the most tickets and takes the most shots, and trade Jefferson for a rebounder who'll ensure that next season's Nets don't look nearly as small, weak and pathetic on the boards as they've looked in their two games in Cleveland.

 

Only now I'm not so sure. Carter was dreadful in defeat in Games 1 and 2, and he couldn't even blame it on the hostile environment he found in his old Toronto home.

 

Sasha Pavlovic, whoever he is, shut him down. Carter admitted he came up smaller than a referee's whistle, and maybe that will turn out OK.

 

Carter wasn't himself in Games 1 and 2 in the Raptors series, and still the Nets survived.

 

But this isn't so much about Games 1 and 2 in Toronto as it is about the endings of Games 5 and 6 of that first-round triumph. Executives around the league noticed how Carter handled those situations, and didn't come away impressed.

 

On the final possession of Game 5, with a chance to bury the Raptors and silence the crowd against a completely overmatched Juan Dixon, Carter passed the ball to Bostjan Nachbar, who was 0-for-6 from three-point range going on 0-for-7.

 

On the Nets' penultimate possession of Game 6, after a Lawrence Frank timeout, Carter took a hideous cop-out shot that made his coach look bad. Fed up, Frank called the final play for Jefferson, who couldn't believe his ears.

 

Jefferson was smart enough to take the ball to the hole, and athletic enough to execute a spin move and lefty layup over Chris Bosh. Jefferson would then prove quick enough on the other end to make the series-clinching steal.

 

He also played a good brand of ball in Cleveland, while Carter was heaving it up from Akron.

 

So who's it going to be, Jefferson or Carter? Unlike Jefferson, who's under contract, Carter can make the choice easy. He can opt-out and sign with his hometown team, Orlando, which would have enough available cash if it renounces Darko Milicic.

 

Carter says he wants to stay with the Nets, who can give him the richest possible deal. If Carter truly covets a new address, and wants the richest possible deal to go along for the ride, then he can agree to a sign-and-trade.

 

Jefferson has no such options or leverage. He's going where the Nets tell him to go, and they almost told him to go to Chicago last year.

 

Truth is, Jefferson's doing Thorn a big favor by playing so well after his ankle surgery. His value is rising by the possession as league executives see he's lost none of his athleticism.

 

Could Jefferson be sent in a package for Pau Gasol? No, Memphis likes its own medium-sized players, Mike Miller and Rudy Gay.

 

Could Jefferson be shipped with Nenad Krstic in a monster deal for Kevin Garnett? No, Minnesota doesn't think Krstic is good enough to anchor a Garnett-free frontcourt.

 

Could Jefferson be sent to Indiana in exchange for Jermaine O'Neal? Unless Krstic entices them, why would the Pacers trade a center for a wing?

 

Kidd and Carter are proof that Thorn has never been afraid to make a big move. After this postseason ends, he'll need to make a big move for a big.

 

A wing needs to be clipped in the process. Jefferson is the younger player, Carter is the better scorer.

 

In Game 3, two 2007 Nets resume their auditions for one 2008 role. http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2...ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2

I can't wait to see their faces and read their reactions if they lose Vince and get nothing in return; no matter what team gets him.

[Nyce_1 311]

I found this article online. Pretty good read talking about either Jefferson or Carter won't be back next season and the team going to trade one of them for some front court help. The writer even references Orlando as a destination for Vince if he opts out. Enjoy!

quote:

No hard evidence suggests that Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson have the kind of tense non-relationship shared by Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. No him-or-me, me-or-him body language defines their awkward spacing on the court.

 

But in the end, New Jersey simply isn't big enough for both. Nor is Brooklyn, for that matter. The Nets could conceivably win Game 3 tonight at Continental Arena and come back from this 0-2 second-round deficit to beat Cleveland, and they still won't win the NBA title.

 

Chances are, they'll never win it all with Carter, Jefferson and Jason Kidd as their top three guns.

 

"Are those three guys good enough to win a championship? Yes," Rod Thorn said Friday. "But it depends on who the other pieces are. We need another piece or two in size to help out there if you want to win an NBA title."

 

The Nets have the right talent and the wrong balance. Though Carter and Jefferson are hardly mirror images of each other, they simply overlap a bit too much.

 

Rod Thorn needs to trade one for a bigger body, and I'd bet all the millions Bruce Ratner's going to make on his real estate score in Brooklyn that Thorn will do that deal this summer. He'll either move Jefferson like he almost did in last year's bid to land Luol Deng, or he'll complete a sign-and-trade deal with the free agent-to-be, Carter, to fortify his front line.

 

If you have three high-priced players, one of them absolutely, positively, has to be what basketball people love to call a "big." So if this is to be the Nets' last postseason series of the year, Carter and Jefferson will play the ultimate game within the game, a two-man duel that is a cross between "Survivor" and "American Idol."

 

Part endurance test, part audition.

 

Who stays? Who goes?

 

I'm still putting my money on the Jefferson train leaving town. I've thought all along that Thorn would re-sign Carter, who sells the most tickets and takes the most shots, and trade Jefferson for a rebounder who'll ensure that next season's Nets don't look nearly as small, weak and pathetic on the boards as they've looked in their two games in Cleveland.

 

Only now I'm not so sure. Carter was dreadful in defeat in Games 1 and 2, and he couldn't even blame it on the hostile environment he found in his old Toronto home.

 

Sasha Pavlovic, whoever he is, shut him down. Carter admitted he came up smaller than a referee's whistle, and maybe that will turn out OK.

 

Carter wasn't himself in Games 1 and 2 in the Raptors series, and still the Nets survived.

 

But this isn't so much about Games 1 and 2 in Toronto as it is about the endings of Games 5 and 6 of that first-round triumph. Executives around the league noticed how Carter handled those situations, and didn't come away impressed.

 

On the final possession of Game 5, with a chance to bury the Raptors and silence the crowd against a completely overmatched Juan Dixon, Carter passed the ball to Bostjan Nachbar, who was 0-for-6 from three-point range going on 0-for-7.

 

On the Nets' penultimate possession of Game 6, after a Lawrence Frank timeout, Carter took a hideous cop-out shot that made his coach look bad. Fed up, Frank called the final play for Jefferson, who couldn't believe his ears.

 

Jefferson was smart enough to take the ball to the hole, and athletic enough to execute a spin move and lefty layup over Chris Bosh. Jefferson would then prove quick enough on the other end to make the series-clinching steal.

 

He also played a good brand of ball in Cleveland, while Carter was heaving it up from Akron.

 

So who's it going to be, Jefferson or Carter? Unlike Jefferson, who's under contract, Carter can make the choice easy. He can opt-out and sign with his hometown team, Orlando, which would have enough available cash if it renounces Darko Milicic.

 

Carter says he wants to stay with the Nets, who can give him the richest possible deal. If Carter truly covets a new address, and wants the richest possible deal to go along for the ride, then he can agree to a sign-and-trade.

 

Jefferson has no such options or leverage. He's going where the Nets tell him to go, and they almost told him to go to Chicago last year.

 

Truth is, Jefferson's doing Thorn a big favor by playing so well after his ankle surgery. His value is rising by the possession as league executives see he's lost none of his athleticism.

 

Could Jefferson be sent in a package for Pau Gasol? No, Memphis likes its own medium-sized players, Mike Miller and Rudy Gay.

 

Could Jefferson be shipped with Nenad Krstic in a monster deal for Kevin Garnett? No, Minnesota doesn't think Krstic is good enough to anchor a Garnett-free frontcourt.

 

Could Jefferson be sent to Indiana in exchange for Jermaine O'Neal? Unless Krstic entices them, why would the Pacers trade a center for a wing?

 

Kidd and Carter are proof that Thorn has never been afraid to make a big move. After this postseason ends, he'll need to make a big move for a big.

 

A wing needs to be clipped in the process. Jefferson is the younger player, Carter is the better scorer.

 

In Game 3, two 2007 Nets resume their auditions for one 2008 role. http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2...ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2

I can't wait to see their faces and read their reactions if they lose Vince and get nothing in return; no matter what team gets him.

[Emory889 353]

Whoever wrote this article must have some serious issues with Carter. I admit that Carter has had some struggles in the postseason but hes also had some good games as well.

 

quote:

On the final possession of Game 5, with a chance to bury the Raptors and silence the crowd against a completely overmatched Juan Dixon, Carter passed the ball to Bostjan Nachbar, who was 0-for-6 from three-point range going on 0-for-7.

 

Somehow I doubt Carter knew what Nachbar's 3pt percentage was during the closing seconds of that game. Strategy usually dictates that the road team goes for the win in this situation. Carter passed the ball to the teams best 3pt shooter for a wide open shot. He made the right play.

 

Apparently the columnist doesn't know much about the Cleveland roster either. Sasha Pavlovic is a very good looking young player. I would love to have him on the Magic.

 

Carter still isn't my first choice but I will be very happy if the Magic manage to sign him provided we don't have to give up our young core to get him.