| Auditing The Nets 2007-08 Season Authored by Christopher Reina - May 29, 2008 - 10:32 pm
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A Jason Kidd era that resulted in two appearances in the NBA Finals unceremoniously ended with the saga of a very complicated trade, but the Nets came out of it in a much improved long-term situation.
New Jersey had nine players who either met or outperformed their contract.
- Vince Carter: 27th, 1077, 14.6, +0%
The Nets will likely ultimately regret the Cater extension, but his performance during the 07-08 season will not be when the time comes. He continued to be one of the best scoring shooting guards in the NBA and he also had excellent season on the glass (6 rebounds per game) and as an assist man (5.1).
The Nets were 13.3 points per 100 possessions better with Carter on the floor which is hugely significant for a team that was outscored by 5.1 points per night.
- Richard Jefferson: 47th, 924, 11.6, -13%
Jefferson has become a marginally above average win in the clothing of a fringe All-Star. He was the Nets' leading scorer at 22.7 points per game, but his FIC40 trailed wings such as Josh Childress, Ronnie Brewer and Luke Walton.
His rebound and assist totals were far too low for a player of his supposed caliber and he wasn't as efficient of a scorer as a LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony.
Jefferson has become far less effective than he was during that 05-06 season when he had a 14.1 FIC40, shooting 49.3% from the floor and grabbing 6.9 rebounds per night.
- Devin Harris: 104th, 663, 13.1, +52%
To convert Jason Kidd into the younger and cheaper Devin Harris was another shrewd trade completed by Rod Thorn.
Harris is one of the best perimeter defenders in the game and continues to develop as a point guard. He shot 49.2% from the floor during the 06-07 season and 48.3% during his 39 games with Dallas, but his percentage dropped to 43.8% since joining New Jersey. Part of the reason for the drop was surely due to Harris doubling his 3-point shot attempts (1.8 per game to 3.9 per game).
His 2.29 assist/turnover ratio, which was 37th amongst point guards, must improve if he is to become amongst the elite offensively at the position.
- Josh Boone: 115th, 604, 13.6, +412%
Boone did a lot of what he did during a nice rookie season and did it with greater frequently, averaging 25 minutes per night. He rebounded well (particularly on the offensive end) and shot 54.8% from the floor (almost all were easy dunks and lay-ups) though the offense did struggle when he was on the floor, which Lawrence Frank hoped would be offset by his defense and glass work.
- DeSagana Diop: 179th, 422, 13.0, +63%
Diop finally became an efficient scorer at center, shooting 58.3% during his 52 games for the Mavericks; it was the first time in his previous career high was 48.7%. But that percentage dropped to 41.5% with New Jersey. Though the sample size was rather limited, the Nets were 3.6 points per 100 possessions better with Diop on the floor.
- Sean Williams: 189th, 396, 12.4, +131%
Williams only trailed Marcus Camby in blocks per 48 minutes with 3.98. He shot 53.8% from the floor in the pure finisher role and rebounded very well for a rookie. Williams showed that he can actually become a decent jump shooter for his position though the majority of his offense will continue to be assisted.
He looked like a mid-round steal and should be an effective NBA big for many years to come.
- Bostjan Nachbar: 193rd, 393, 9.5, +27%
Nachbar finished the season well but after an 06-07 season in which he had a career high 45.7% from the floor and 42.3% from beyond the arc, he dropped back down to 40.2% and 35.9% respectively. As a result, Nachbar's FIC40 dropped from 10.9 to 9.5.
- Stromile Swift: 246th, 256, 12.1, -63%
The Grizzlies once and for all cut ties with Swift as he has failed to improve upon his initial first few seasons in the NBA and has even regressed in terms of his productivity. The 2007-08 season was one of his best in terms of shooting efficiency but his rebounding and shotblocking are extremely average.
- Marcus Williams: 254th, 232, 10.5, +65%
Williams shot just 37.9% from the floor and had a 1.8 assist/turnover ratio, proving many GMs very right for letting him slip until the 22nd pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. The Nets were 8.5 points per 100 possessions better when Williams was off the floor.
One encouraging sign in a disappointing 53 game season was his sudden increase as a three-point shooter, hitting 54 of his 142 attempts.
- Nenad Krstic: 285th, 162, 8.0, -18%
Krstic had a 10.6 FIC40 during his 05-06 season when he began to look like a serviceable big, but his huge drop in scoring efficiency (both his own FG% and assist rate) negated a sizable improvement as a rebounder
- Darrell Armstrong: 312th, 119, 8.7, +47%
Armstrong continued his improbable career out of Fayetteville State by appearing in 50 games and providing veteran play at the point guard position. Armstrong is a long ways away from his 00-01 season in Orlando when he had a 14.7 FIC40. But there are a finite number of people in the world who can bring the ball across the floor in the NBA and therefore people like Darrell Armstrong continues his career well into his 30's.
- Trenton Hassell: 347th, 74, 3.8, -82%
Hassell has never been an FIC darling due to him being a poor man's Bruce Bowen, but he was especially ineffective during his limited 312 minutes this season.
- Maurice Ager: 439th, 3, 0.7, -96%
Ager played very limited minutes in just 26 games but it was almost as if he didn't even exist. The 28th pick of the 2006 draft is lucky, unlike Patrick O'Bryant, that he has a million dollar contract for the 08-09 season.
How The Nets Were Acquired
- Boone, Jefferson, Kristic, M. Williams and S. Williams were draft selections.
- Armstrong and Van Horn (S&T) were free agent signings.
- Ager, Carter, Diop, Harris, Hassell, Nachbar and Swift were acquired in trades.
- Christopher Reina is the executive editor of RealGM and the creator of The Reina Value which determines the value of players in relation to their contract. |
