Just saw the 2002 NBA finals Nets vs Lakers on ESPN classic today. I originally saw the game in person so seeing it on tv was a totally new perspective. Though they ultimately lost to the Lakers in a sweep, the Nets were good, damn good. I understand why the team decided to trade Van Horn for Mutombo. With Duncan and Shaq in the West, it was imperative the team get a dominant big man in the paint and Jefferson was already pushing for more SF minutes. The only problem with the deal was Mutombo was not a good fit in the sytem we ran. Once he was ultimately bought out, I knew the deal was a complete and utter failure. Looking at Collins slim physique during this period is was also obvious he put on the weight to later in his career to match up against the bigger guys in the league. L. Harris's contributions to the team were under appreciated. He was the perfect guy off the bench. He was a spark plug off the bench and played solid defense. He was as perfect for the team as was Kittles. Kmart was more than just a dunker and was very good in the paint at scoring. While he may have been worth the max to Nuggets and maybe in hindsight the Nets, that was never his market value. It was a bad situation and both sides made the best of what they had. With what they received in return and subsequent events, the single worst move the Nets made in the Kidd era was trading Van Horn. It's only fitting that in the closing of the Nets-Kidd saga, we've gone back to square one.
