New Jersey Nets Ultimate Roster

New Jersey Nets, 484.6 rating, 25th overall (13th seed in the East)
It'll get a bit complicated with the Nets, as they're one of the ABA teams. All the ABA stats are worth 25% of the NBA stats.


1. Jason Kidd (164.9 rating) - #5, Guard
Resume: 2002-2008; 506 Games, 14.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 9.1 APG, 56.6 Win Shares, 0.752 MVP Award Shares, 2 All-NBA 1st Teams, 1 All-NBA 2nd Team, 5 All-Star Selections, 4.9 Finals Win Shares, 2 All-Defensive 1st Teams, 4 All-Defensive 2nd Teams
The quintessential Net. It's weird that he spent less than half of his career there, but it's the only team I think of when I think of Jason Kidd. It's still the only team I think of even though he's currently playing for the Mavericks.


2. Buck Williams (89.3) - #52, Forward-Center
Resume: 1982-1989; 635 Games,  16.4 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 1.5 APG, 62.8 Win Shares, 0.059 MVP Award Shares, 1 All-NBA 2nd Team, 3 All-Star Selections, 1982 Rookie of the Year, 1 All-Defensive 2nd Team
I take it back. Well, not really. Can I just call Kidd and Williams "Co-Quintessential Nets"? Screw it. I'm doing it. By the way, that's a a fairly decent foundation for a team. Not an all-time ultimate all-star roster team, but just a regular team.


*3. Julius Erving (63.5) - #32, Forward-Guard
Resume: (All ABA) 1974-1976; 252 Games, 28.2 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 5.2 APG, 51.8 Win Shares, 3 ABA MVP Awards ('74, '75, '76), 3 All-ABA 1st Team Selections, 3 ABA All-Star Selections, 2 ABA Championships ('74, '76), 6.7 ABA Championship Win Shares, 1 ABA All-Defensive 1st Team
Obviously Dr. J will be suiting up for the Sixers, but damn, it's a shame we won't see the classic New York Americans #32 jersey and a giant afro throwing down from all over the court. This makes me want to do an ABA version of this someday. Possibly. It probably won't happen, and Dr. J would probably be on the Squires anyway, but still. It's an idea.


*4. Vince Carter (58.7) - #15, Guard-Forward
Resume: 2005-2009; 374 Games, 23.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.7 APG, 43.6 Win Shares, 0.002 MVP Award Shares, 3 All-Star Selections
Meh. The opposite of Kidd. Almost half of his career there, but still I can only think of the Raptors.


5. Derrick Coleman (40.9) - #44, Forward
Resume: 1991-1995; 348 Games, 19.9 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.1 APG, 35.9 Win Shares, 2 All-NBA 3rd Team Selections, 1 All-Star Selection, 1991 Rookie of the Year
This is the kind of thing Coleman is going to excel at. You know, the "not real life" thing. Strictly as a simulated player, Derrick Coleman should dominate a few games in this tournament. Unless the simulation engine can somehow factor into "too much money, not enough maturity/focus" into the games. Although I doubt it. Also, Coleman is the first of, like, 3 or 4 extremely gifted but somewhat crazy guys on this team.


6. Kerry Kittles (30.6) - #30, Guard
Resume: 1997-2004; 496 Games, 14.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.6 APG, 44.6 Win Shares, 3.3 Finals Win Shares
This is the first of, like, 3 or 4 guys Jason Kidd carried onto this roster.


7. Richard Jefferson (30.3) - #24, Forward
Resume: 2002-2008; 489 Games, 17.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.0 APG, 50.6 Win Shares, 2.0 Finals Win Shares
It just never really happened for Jefferson, did it? I remember pretty much every year people saying this was the year Jefferson was going to be a star...


8. Kenyon Martin (26.8) - #6, Forward
Resume: 2001-2004; 283 Games, 15.1 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.4 APG, 20.7 Win Shares, 1 All-Star Selection, 2.9 Finals Win Shares
And here's our first (and only) guy that is both crazy and carried onto this team by Kidd's excellence.


9. Kenny Anderson (18.7) - #7, Guard
Resume: 1992-1996; 304 Games, 15.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 7.8 APG, 23.0 Win Shares, 1 All-Star Selection
It really is a shame he and Coleman could never really get their acts together. I feel like they should have been a consistently successful team for at least a few years in the early to mid 90's.


10. Stephon Marbury (18.2) - #33, Guard
Resume: 1999-2001; 172 Games, 23.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 8.1 APG, 19.2 Win Shares, 1 All-Star Selection
See what I mean about the craziness? New Jersey definitely leads the league in these guys (great numbers for a few years, one All-Star appearance, terrible teammate.) It's really not even close.


*11. Rick Barry (18.2) - #24, Forward
Resume: (All ABA) 1971-1972; 30.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 4.5 APG, 19.1 Win Shares, 2 All-ABA 1st Team Selections, 2 ABA All-Star Selections, 2.7 ABA Finals Win Shares
You know, I didn't even realize Rick Barry ever played for the Nets/Americans. Obviously he'll be with the Warriors, but holy God, look at those numbers...


12. Mike Gminski (17.2) - #42, Center
Resume: 1981-1988; 550 Games, 11.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.3 APG, 34.4 Win Shares
It's probably not great that this is the first true center and he's this far down the list. (Also probably not great that it's Mike Gminski.)


13. Jayson Williams (16.8) - #55, Forward-Center
Resume: 1993-1999; 373 Games, 8.3 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 0.7 APG, 20.2 Win Shares, 1 All-Star Selection
Hmmm... For some reason, my memory seems to think Jayson Williams had better numbers than this. But it also remembers that he possibly murdered someone. Or something like that. I clearly don't have the greatest memory of Jayson Williams.


14. Otis Birdsong (15.7) - #10, Guard
Resume: 1982-1988; 375 Games, 15.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, 18.5 Win Shares, 1 All-Star Selection
Birdsong is always associated with the Kings to me, but he did spend way more time with the Nets. (He also had a higher score with the Kings, but couldn't crack their top 12... I guess he didn't crack the top 12 for the Nets, either, but you know what mean.)


15. Chris Morris (15.2) - #34, Forward
Resume: 1989-1995; 510 Games, 13.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.0 APG, 30.3 Win Shares
Um... who?


Just missed the cut:
16. Keith Van Horn (14.6)
17. Devin Harris (14.2)
18. Drazen Petrovic (13.8)
19. Brian Taylor (11.6)
20. Michael Ray RIchardson (11.5)


Outlook: If a young Dr. J and a not quite so young Vince Carter could've made this squad, it would've been a lot more interesting. I really think the full court alley-oops from Kidd to Erving would've won a few games alone. Literally. The refs would just stop the game and hand them the ball and bow. As it is, this isn't a bad team, but it's rather on the small side. (Not to mention being overloaded with both point guards and head cases.) It's one of those teams that I'm really interested to see some stats and how some games play out.