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The Corrupted
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Queens, NY
Posts: 58,030
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Rj Ready And Able To Give Kidd A Hand
Complete Article
Quote:
October 10, 2003 -- WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - Just 49 triple doubles more and Richard Jefferson will be tied with Jason Kidd.
"That's what it is," said Kidd of Jefferson's ever-improving passing. "RJ sees triple doubles."
Actually, Jefferson sees the floor and sees teammates and he hopes the coaching staff sees that he does. Jefferson is set on becoming an all-around player, an all-around team player, this season.
After a superb five-assist passing display in his 23 minutes in the exhibition opener at Phoenix, Jefferson had two assists, 10 points and seven rebounds in the Nets' 84-75 victory over the Knicks here last night.
"I just try to do what I can. I'm trying to [earn] confidence in the coaches to take the ball out of J-Kidd's hands a little bit and let some other people be playmakers," said Jefferson who recorded the first triple double of his career last season. "I'm trying to be a complete player, trying to affect the game whether with my passing, my rebounding my scoring."
Jefferson has developed into one of the league's best young forwards. His athleticism is price-of-admission stuff and he came out of college talking about his defense, which is quality and steadily improving. And with the physical growth has come the mental maturity that excites coach Byron Scott.
"He's a very unselfish player and he wants to do the right thing," Scott contends. "Richard and Kenyon [Martin], put them in other systems, they'd probably both average 20 a game, but they're both team players."
Jefferson received an invaluable lesson playing with the Olympic qualifying team this summer. From Day One, that team stressed TEAM, real one for all stuff. So Jefferson saw the likes of Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter passing up shots and passing to teammates.
"What he saw was that talented players, Tracy McGrady, Allen [Iverson], these guys were not just dominant scorers. These guys can pass the ball, too," said Kidd, a part of that team as was Martin. "That's what he picked up: it's okay to give it up and be a part of a play in a different way."
Jefferson agrees.
"Sometimes, being put in a different situation on a different team makes you a little more aware of your teammates and getting the best shot and getting people open," Jefferson said. "You see things a little better because you're playing with the best players who know how to get open."
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Ball movement is of course good. On a bad shooting team we need as many open looks as we can get. If this is what he learned this summer, good for him.
-Petey
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Rj Ready And Able To Give Kidd A Hand
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