Jamaal Magloire was signed for his toughness and low-post presence. The Nets need that. Malik Allen came to camp as a mid-range shooter with size. The Nets need that, too. Sean Williams was drafted for his athleticism and shot-blocking, two more elements the Nets lack but need. And Josh Boone has looked great in training camp, bringing athleticism, shot-blocking, an inside presence.
Need it, need it, need it, say the Nets.
But even with all the new talents and bodies on hand, the Nets still need Jason Collins.
Like the relative who won’t leave, Collins is the statistically challenged forward who won’t yield a starter’s job. No starting forward averaged fewer than his 2.1 points last season. When he walks on the court, some fans moan – especially Larry with the Glasses, who demands coach Lawrence Frank take a breathalyzer every game. Frank has heard it all. Collins, too.
“Twin’s earned the right to have the job,” Frank said. “If someone wants the job, like Jamaal or Josh Boone or Sean Williams, they have to take it from Twin. But Twin is coming to camp prepared; he’s got a great basketball IQ, he’s worked extremely hard.”
Collins is a coaching-staff favorite. He defends, sets screens, takes charges. He originally became a Net to be a backup. Injuries and circumstance elevated him to a starter’s post. No one has usurped the job yet.
“Everybody on each individual team has a role to play. For this team to be successful, I know what my role is. And we’ve had some suc cess here,” said Collins, who has been to two finals and three conference semifinals.
Yes, Collins does things that don’t show up in the boxscore. But it would be nice to do the things that do. Like scoring more than one point in the final 10 games. But for a coach who believes defense is the way to eternal happiness, Collins is a good frontline fit.
“We have great depth this year. There are a lot of guys who are capable of doing a lot of things,” Collins said. “Malik shooting, Jamaal down on the low block, Sean or J.B. using their athleti cism. It’s important for all of us to continue to push each other to get better because it’s only going to make the team better.”
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Jason Kidd left practice and spent his time with a chiropractor after tweaking his back in warm-ups.
“In the middle of stretching his back, it tightened up a little bit,” Frank said.
Kidd missed two games last season with an achy back. “Now you’re making me concerned. It was just a fluke, it wasn’t like he got hit,” Frank said.
Antoine Wright, who rolled his left ankle at Philadelphia on Friday, expects to play tonight in Charlotte.
“I came in [Saturday] and got treatment,” Wright said.
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The Nets waived forward Rod Benson to cut the roster to 19 . . . Frank will start Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson, along with Darrell Armstrong vs. Hornets. Power spots undecided.
Nenad Krstic went to Charlotte simply for added work. He won’t play.