Jason Kidd’s ex-teammate suggests Kyrie Irving will evolve into leader with Nets

Beleagured PG has the confidence of a former Nets standout

The Nets know a thing or two about acquiring a superstar point guard with somewhat of a checkered past. Back in June of 2001, the then-New Jersey organization sent floor general Stephon Marbury packing for Phoenix in exchange for All-Star Jason Kidd. A former Co-Rookie of the Year, alongside Grant Hill, Kidd was regarded as one of the top point guards of his generation.

In his first season in New Jersey he completed the greatest turnaround in league history as the Nets went from 26 wins before he came to town to 52-wins and a berth in the NBA finals. Kidd was arrested in January of 2001 for hitting his now ex-wife Joumana and the Suns subsequently shipped him out that offseason. The former Cal star brought leadership, toughness, but his share of baggage to the Garden State.

Flashforward 18-years, and while Kyrie Irving has no arrests or misdemeanors on his record, his leadership and team-first attitude have been challenged by critics that point to his selfishness as a reason the Celtics team came apart at the seams this past season.

Stay tuned to https://t.co/7P1luYIl13 for updates on Kevin Durant's injury. #nba #nets pic.twitter.com/JwMylWR3Dm

— Rick Laughland (@ricklaughland) July 24, 2019

One former Nets player who’s been following Brooklyn’s offseason closey is Kidd’s former backcourt running mate Kerry Kittles. The starting shooting guard on the Nets back-to-back NBA finals teams, Kittles suggested in an interview on CBS Sports Radio, that Irving will have a similar transition to what Kidd experienced in New Jersey, while Durant’s injury could even been a blessing in disguise for the former disgruntled Celtic.

“So there’s always unknowns, right --when you’re a player and going to a new organization,” admitted Kittles. “Even though you’re a superstar player, I can remember when the Nets brought in Jason Kidd, and he was already an All-Star and a well-established superstar in the NBA, but he came to a new organization with a bunch of new faces, and new coaches, and new system. It’s going to take some time for those guys. I think Kevin Durant sitting out most of this year, if not the entire season, will give Kyrie a chance to grow and to learn how to play the style of play that Coach Atkinson has and how to lead. I think will be his first real chance of leading and grow in that role.”

The Nets offseason makeover is indicative of the new-NBA with superstars pairing up to creating dynamic duos to take the league by storm. While many former players resent the power current players have over their free agency plans, Kittle was open-minded to the “Super-team Era” in the NBA.

“How can you stop it, right?,” asked Kittles. “You can’t stop guys from communicating. It’s going to happen. I’m ok with it now. I think a lot of old school purists would probably say: ‘no, just do your thing and put your head down'. ‘If it happens on its own organically then it’s probably fine'. “I’m okay with these guys now talking and creating their own path; I think it’s good for players now to be able to carve out where they want to go and who they want to play with and see if it works out. They’re not guaranteed it’s going to work out, even though they’re buddies, it’s not guaranteed to work out. It could be interesting to see how this plays out over the next few years with guys partnering up with other guys and seeing if they can win together"

The Irving and Durant experiment in Brooklyn, the Paul George and Kawhi Leonard duo with the Clippers, the James Harden and Russell Westbrook pairing in Houston, and the Lebron James and Anthony Davis combo with the Lakers are all compelling super-teams fans will keep a close eye on. As Kittles suggests, the formation of the super teams doesn’t guarantee anything, but it’s hard to argue that the free agency period has never been more exciting than the one fans witnessed this year.