New Jersey is represented by:

   Matt Mitchell .

They have the 9th pick and select:

   Shawn Respert, SG, 6-3.  Michigan State

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The New Jersey Nets are coming off an extremely dissapointing season.  When
you're a team already on the verge of missing the NBA playoffs, you can't
afford key injuries, dissention, first round picks who fail to draw iron
during the season, and deterioration of the few veterans you have.  The nets
had all of these to one extent or another.  Of course, in the East, where
packs of wild dogs aren't eliminated from the playoff race until April, the
Nets always seemed to have a chance of bailing out a playoff birth and the
possibility of making good in the second season.  Instead, the Nets faded
into the realm of lowly East clubs. At the start of the season the Nets, and
fans like me, considered them an up and coming club a few draft picks and a
few years away from being one of the best teams in the conference.  Now, I
think, the Nets can only be viewed as a mediocre lottery team which needs to
make huge strides to return to the playoffs, much less the upper division. 

Overall, the nets are very much two teams in one. At the top is a bunch of
overpaid, underachieving veterans, DERRICK COLEMAN, KENNY ANDERSON, CHRIS
MORRIS, and BENOIT BENJAMIN.  Below that group, however, is a deep
collection of hard working NBA role players who are easy to root for and
have potential to become solid NBA players.  The nets best strategy, then,
is to build form this strength, together with some of the established
players.


Team Needs:

Point Guards
------------
KENNY ANDERSON had a disappointing season.  Anderson looked to be a budding
superstar, strongly on the rise, but this season he made very little
progress.  His outside shot is still questionable, although he didn't
question it enough to keep form taking over 1000 shots during the season. 
He did dish out 9.4 apg, which was tops in the league for non-Stocktons.
Sometimes the offense seemed stagnant; this led to Anderson heaving up far
to many outside shots and not enough shots around the basket.  Except on the
screen and roll, the Nets bread and butter, Kenny didn't have enough chances
to show off his considerable ball-handling and passing skills.

One bright spot was the emergence of CHRIS CHILDS.  Childs showed an ability
to spell Anderson and keep the offense moving.  He's not the penetrating
force Anderson is, but he generates excellent ball-movement which made the
Nets, at times, look better with him in the game than Anderson.  He is a
capable backup, which is particularly important because Anderson still has
wrist problems, which kept him out of many games, and, in Kenny's defense,
lowered his effectiveness in many others.

Shooting Guards
---------------
KEVIN EDWARDS missed nearly the entire season with a ruptured Achilles
tendon.  He is a competant player, and the nets really missed his defense
and scoring.  If he comes back strong, the Nets will certainly improve next
season.

CHRIS MORRIS moved to SG from SF when Edwards went down.  A big (6'8") SG,
he should have been able to get good shots; instead, he settled for more and
more three pointers. He shot a decent percentage (.334), but not good enough
for him to justify not going to his strengths, offensive rebounding and
finishing strong on fastbreaks.  A novel idea was using him as a post player
on smaller SG's; unfortunately, he settled for too many long turn-arounds
instead of working for better position.  Defensively, opposing SG's licked
their chops, as it was easy for them to beat Mo off the dribble.  Basically,
Morris is a very soft player, so he is unable to use his considerable
atheletic talents fully.  He is an unrestricted free agent and shouldn't be
resigned, although he probably will be.

REX WALTERS is a tough player to peg.  He doesn't really have the size to
play SG, especially alongside Anderson, but isn't really a PG either.  He
shot for a mediocre percentage.  His defense is suspect, especially against
bigger players.  Basically, Walters is a marginal role player cast in too
large a part.  He may be left unprotected in the expansion draft.

SEAN HIGGINS and SLEEPY FLOYD are veteran retreads.  Higgins is an
inconsistent shooter and bad ballhandler.  His defense isn't stopper
quality, so it can't make up for his other deficiencies.  Floyd is a SG in a
PG's body, and the nets already have a younger one of those (Walters). He
lacks the quickness that used to make him a dangerous scorer.

FORWARDS
-------- 
The nets really don't have any true small forwards; Mo is a SG now, and
Higgins isn't big enough to play many minutes at SF.  This isn't a problem
in the East; in fact, one of the nets biggest strengths is a big and
versatile front line.

DERRICK COLEMAN struggled with injuries and poor shooting.  He shot just
.425 from the floor, ridiculous for a quality inside player.  His shooting
percentage has declined every year, but it can't get much worse.  While
other PF's used the shorter 3pt line to diversify their games, Coleman shot
.233 from beyond the line.  This is really hard to understand: I expected
the new line to make Coleman nearly unstoppable.  Compared to last year,
though, his assists dropped slightly, turnovers rose, and he pulled in fewer
rebounds.  Not a good sign for a young player who is supposed to be
improving.  On the other hand, he did average 20pts and 10 boards, and
occasionally played with injury, sometimes fairly severe injury (a chipped
pelvic bone).

P.J. BROWN started at small forward for most of the year.  Brown is a
versatile 6'11" player, who came into the league last year as a PF/C.  He
has shown some improvement in his outside shot, although he is still an
offensive liability.  On the other hand, he doesn't force shots:  his
shooting percentage (.446) isn't as bad as it could be for a guy with his
outside touch. He is willing to promote good ball-movement, and doesn't
complain about his shots.  He is a fabulous defensive player who can guard
shooting guards to smaller centers.  He's young, athletic, and hard working. 
The player he should try to emulate is Derrick McKey.  He has a ways to go,
but certainly has the defensive skills and attitude to get there.

JAYSON WILLIAMS biggest problem this year was that his minutes had to be
limited in order that the nets wouldn't owe the Sixers another pick as part
of the trade they made to get Jayson in New Jersey.  Williams is hard
working and a tenacious rebounder.  His offense isn't great, but he is more
than willing to wait for good shots, or pass to his teammates.  He is a fine
position defender and a good athelete. 

ARMON GILLIAM was the team's most consistent player.  He suited up for every
game, shot over 50%, did a nice job on the boards, and showed that he
doesn't have to be considered a defensive liability.  He is a professional
in every sense of the word.  I think his reputation, once in question due to
his run-ins with Barkley in Philly, is now solid.  He deserves to play for a
contender, as he isn't getting any younger.  I think he could help many
teams as an "instant offense" low post threat, somewhat like James Edwards
was for the Pistons years ago.

RICK MAHORN played limited minutes as a veteran bench presence and sometimes
goon.  He is rumored to be retiring.  The Nets might want to consider a
coaching position, if he is interested, to keep him around the team.

CENTERS
------- 
BENOIT BENJAMIN was, as usual, inconsistent and frustrating.  He can be a
solid low post threat; he shot 51% and grabbed 7.2 boards in just over 26
minutes.  He had back problems, however, and is not in good shape.  He
doesn't hustle.  He moved better without the ball this year than last, which
I can only credit to coach Butch Beard.  He has a mammoth contract; I left
him unprotected for the USENET expansion draft, since I think a low salary
stiff could do most of the things he does and leave money left over for
upgrading other parts of the roster. He was taken, so in the Usenet World,
the Nets have a big contract slot open.

DWAYNE SCHINTZIUS stunk, is a restricted free agent, and won't be resigned,
unless the price is right.

YINKA DARE did absolutely nothing.  He played in one game, for 3 minutes,
shot an airball, and left.  He spent most of the season on IR recovering
form knee surgery on both knees.  He was expected to be a project, but I
can't imagine he was learning much in practice from Benjamin.  On the good
side, he showed the ruggedness to go the whole season without drawing iron
and still did not develop anemia.

COACHING
--------
BUTCH BEARD was lost all season.  He couldn't motivate the team, and didn't
bring much in the way of new ideas to the Nets playbook.  He wanted an
uptempo game; when he realized that wouldn't work (the nets defensive
rotation was horrible in the preseason, and they got shellacked on return
fast breaks) he went back to pick and roll almost exclusively.  Morris on
the blocks was a failure.  In his defense, coaching the nets would be a hard
job even without the injuries.  I'd reluctantly fire him, but Willis Reed is
a friend of his, and probably won't.  He is certainly not he nets biggest
problem.

OVERALL
-------
The nets have a few great players, a bunch of quality role players, and some
deadwood.  They can play defense.  Offensively, they stink...they shot for
the worst percentage in the league.  If DC and Anderson play like All-Stars,
the nets are still about two players away from really being a scary team for
the top Eastern clubs to dal with:  another outside shooter, and another
post threat, perhaps one who chould play SG or SF.  Basically, they need
people who can shoot fairly often and still shoot for a good percentage.

What I'd Do.... 
--------------- 

Clean House.  Bring in Chris Ford to coach the club.  Leave Benoit
unprotected; do anything to get his contract off the team.  Don't resign any
free agents except Jayson Williams, who is an RFA and wants to return. 
Dangle Armon Gilliam, but only to a team that has a chance to make the
playoffs.  The Mavs could use him, for instance.  Taking care of players
that work hard for the team is how a franchise builds loyalty in its
players, and the nets could certainly use some of that.  Becoming a class
franchise won't happen overnight. Build around DC and Anderson, unless a
great trade to get other young star players arises.  For instance, I might
consider giving up Coleman if Sprewell were involved, or if the nets could
get a top 5 pick.  Money shouldn't be a problem, with Morris and possibly
Benjamin gone.  Sign an inexpensive stiff and a decent free agent at either
SF or SG, and hope that DC and Anderson improve.  Hang on to guys like
Brown, Williams, Childs, and Edwards, assuming his rehab is coming along. 
If O'Bannon, Stackhouse, Trent, and Respert are gone, trade down and get
Finley.  Finley would be a nice pick, since he is a good size SG and could
play some SF along the lines of Eddie Jones with the Lakers.  

What they'll do...
------------------
Probably not much.  Beard will be back, I would guess.  Benoit probably will
be, if only because the nets need a C.  To me, I'd be willing to go a season
thin at C to develop the team and it's salary for the future, but I doubt
the Nets will.  If Morris is back at anything more than bargain basement
prices, the front office has blundered; they blunder often. Hopefully they
won't send the either of the franchise guys away for a package of mediocre
to decent guys like the 6ers did with Barkley.  

My Pick
-------
SHAWN RESPERT, SG, Mich. St.  This was a difficult pick, since Respert is
only 6'3".  The first question I asked myself was what makes him better
than, say, Rex Walters.   My answer is that he's a little bigger, a better
athlete, and, most importantly, he can create shots for himself, even
against bigger players like Ray Jackson and Cuonzo Martin, both of whom are
fine defensive players.  Joe Dumars is a terrific SG at only 6'3", but he is
a much better defensive player.  Another player who convinced me that NBA
SG's need not be 6'5"+ is Jeff Hornacek.  Respert will have to improve his
ballhandling skills to live up to Horny, but he has more natural athletic
ability.

Others Considered
-----------------
GARY TRENT, SF, Ohio U.  A guy who can play SF, score around the basket, and
shoot for a high percentage.  I think he's got more of the makings of a
quality NBA player than CORLISS WILLIAMSON.  He can step away from the
basket and has more range on his jumpshot.  Right now, P.J. Brown is playing
too many minutes, so a player like this will be needed eventually.  I
couldn't, however, justify passing up a pure shooter/scorer like Respert,
though....just as the Nets shouldn't have passed up on (the taller) Wesley
Person last year.

GUYS I LIKE LATER ON IN THE DRAFT
---------------------------------
The Nets might want to trade down for a SG like MICHAEL FINLEY. He's bigger
and can play two positions.  BOB SURA also has a few inches on his side. I
think LAWRENCE MOTEN would help because of his ability to work the baseline
for high percentage shots.

Later in the draft, BRENT BARRY, TOM KLEINSCHMIDT, and CUONZO MARTIN would
be good picks if the Nets don't get a top SG.

I also like the low post game of JAMES FORREST.  If JOHN WALLACE can be sent
back to school, his rights would also be valuable later in the draft.  The
nets have shown good instincts on later picks and rookie free agents, as
evidenced by Childs and Brown in the last two years, who were, in each case,
better than the Nets top pick.
                                                   
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