The Nets are not destined to play follow the leader this season.
It will be more like follow the leaders.
Coach Jason Kidd acknowledged he does not plan to name a team captain.
Nah, that’s something [the players] will figure out” on their own, Kidd said.
If they must have a captain, it’s up to them, but there’s no urgency. After all, the Nets are loaded with leaders.
“You can never have too many,” added Kidd, who laundry-listed Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Jason Terry as quality leader types. “Everybody leads in their own different way, by being vocal, by playing hard when they’re on the floor. So it’s good to have the leaders that we do have.”
Nobody’s complaining. It’s not as if a “C” on the uniform brings a salary bump. Everyone is well aware of the Nets’ physical, versatile talent pool. But so much goes into a title. And the Nets have the intangible angles covered, too.
Kidd held the captain’s role as a player. So has Williams. But there are enough guys who have gone deep in the playoffs to show others how it’s done. Nothing leads like championship pedigree and Kidd, Garnett, Pierce and Terry all are former NBA champions. Pierce is a natural leader who just, well, leads.
“I just try to come in here for the guys with experience and know-how, try to lead by example,” said Pierce, who sat out Sunday’s practice with a jammed left big toe, which is not considered serious. “I just don’t try to force myself upon anybody. I have a voice definitely because of the respect I’ve gained playing in the NBA, but I’m not here to step on anybody’s toes. This team was built around Joe, built around Deron and Brook [Lopez].”
Lopez, 25, after five seasons is easily the longest-tenured Net. He welcomes the chance to listen and learn. He said he has done that since Garnett arrived. Lopez feels a team captaincy doesn’t really matter — Williams still rates as the favorite in that role, though.
“I think it’s D-Will, first and foremost. We follow what he does,” Lopez said. “Where we’re fortunate is having a wealth of basketball IQ. Obviously, in JKidd from a coaching perspective. KG, Paul. I’ve learned so much from KG in such a small amount of time.
“I listen when they talk. I absolutely listen and the great thing, they’re always trying to improve themselves as well. Everyone has enough respect for each other on the team, one through 15, that we can talk to each other if there’s an issue on the floor.”
When the season starts Wednesday at Cleveland, the Nets may not have one captain, but a roster filled with generals. Kidd, who won’t be on the sidelines as he serves a two-game league-mandated suspension for his DUI conviction, likes it that way.
“When you talk about Paul, KG, Joe, D-Will, Jason Terry, those guys have all been in the battles,” Kidd said. “KG, Paul and Jet, they’ve been in the Finals and have won rings. Being able to have Paul understanding what it takes to win — [if] KG isn’t going, Paul’s the voice in the sense of being a guy they can lean on where he can share different experiences.
“You can’t have enough leaders and we definitely have quite a few.”