Nets Marketing Department Kicks Into Overdrive...



...spearheaded by the following comments from wide-eyed optimists Jason Kidd and Alonzo Mourning, as told to the Newark Star-Ledger's Dave D'Alessandro.

"We know we're not going to win a championship this year or next year," Kidd said as the team assembled for its first practice in four years without Kenyon Martin and Kerry Kittles. "I mean, not with the caliber of guys that we have right now."

Mourning was more blunt: "It's very disheartening to know that I've ... busted my butt to get myself right, to come back and help the organization, and they've taken a huge step backwards from where they were," the great center said.

"And I look at the decisions made behind all of it and I'm baffled by it, because you look at a team last year that was a healthy J-Kidd from being in the Finals again."

Long story short? It may not be a good idea for Bruce Ratner to address the campers at Champion Center for a while.

Mourning has yet to meet the new owner, but he made it clear that he was bugged that the team had to consult the bean counters before letting him attempt a comeback from last December's kidney transplant.

And Kidd, who had a brief meeting with Ratner after the Kittles trade on July 29, doesn't sound very eager for a second engagement.

Indeed, Kidd tried his best to play the good soldier yesterday, but whether he was credible in his stated desire to stay with the Nets was in the ear of the beholder.

On the one hand, when asked whether he wants to be traded, he replied cryptically: "Um, I dream about it," he said. "But I haven't asked to be traded."

"What can I do? I'm an employee. I mean, you can be a disgruntled employee or you can be a happy employee. So I'm choosing to be a happy employee."

In retrospect, getting Byron Scott fired might've been the nicest thing Kidd ever did for the new Hornets coach.

Posted: Tue - October 5, 2004 at 05:02 PM      

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