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The tales grew more astounding by the hour. In one predraft workout he connected on 34 of 40 shots from different spots on the floor. In another he sank 46 of 50 midrange jumpers. He could leap 36 inches from a standing position. He could dunk with either hand. He could run the floor faster than any other big man in the draft. He could, it seemed, do it all. And so it came as a bit of a surprise that of all the teams in the NBA that might have acquired this soft-spoken, sweet-shooting 6'10" forward named Keith Van Horn—a player with all the earmarks of a can't-miss All-Star—it was the Nets who landed him. Yes, New Jersey, a team that hasn't won a postseason series since Ronald Reagan's first term, is finally, mercifully, moving in a positive direction. "He's a four-year college player, just like Kerry Kittles, our top pick last year," says Nets coach and executive VP of basketball operations John Calipari. "You're talking about guys who have been through wars. This guy is married. He has two children. This is not a typical 21-year-old." To acquire this atypical 21-year-old out of the University of Utah, Calipari and team president Michael Rowe took an aggressive tack to outmaneuver several other clubs, including the Bulls, that coveted him. On draft day the 76ers took Van Horn with the second pick; they then sent him to New Jersey along with forward-center Michael Cage, forward Don MacLean and guard Lucious Harris (and, not incidentally, their hefty contracts). In exchange, Philadelphia got guard Jimmy Jackson and center Eric Montross—both of whom had come to the Nets in a blockbuster February trade with Dallas—plus New Jersey's two first-round draft picks: forward Tim Thomas and guard Anthony Parker. "When you get right down to it, we traded Jimmy Jackson for Keith Van Horn," says Calipari. "Eric Montross is going to be a good player and he was going to help us, but don't forget—we got other players who will help us. And Jimmy made it clear when he got here that he didn't want to play in New Jersey." Instead of clearing cap room to prepare for the much-celebrated free-agent class of '98, the Nets swallowed $28 million worth of bloated contracts in taking on Cage, MacLean and Harris. But what New Jersey got was a player whom assistant coach Don Casey calls "an upscale Tom Chambers." For Calipari, this trade could very well be the defining moment of his tenure in New Jersey. And for better or worse, his hand is now full. There will be no more major deals anytime soon. The hand—at least the starting five—a pretty good one. Point guard Sam Cassell, who was re-signed over the summer to a six-year, $21 million contract, has a shoot-first, pass-second mentality, but in his four NBA seasons he has proved to be a clutch player. Alongside Cassell in the backcourt is Kittles, an All-Star in the making. As a rookie last season, he was the Nets' best defender; on offense he showed he can create his own shot and break down defenses with penetration. Last season's most pleasant surprise, though, was small forward Kendall Gill. A lifelong off-guard, Gill made the switch to the 3-spot seamlessly and had a career year on offense. The 6'5" Gill frequently had difficulty guarding bigger forwards, but when Gill struggles on defense this season, Calipari will move Van Horn to small forward and insert sixth man Chris Gatling at power forward. Gill's minutes and points will most likely be reduced as a result, and how he comports himself in the locker room—in the past he has been known to sulk when he thought he wasn't getting his due—will be something to watch closely. Another potential melodrama is the relationship between Calipari and center Jayson Williams. In an article he penned for the June 1997 issue of GQ, Williams was highly critical of Calipari. The team fined Williams $8,000 after the comments, but coach and player say the incident is behind them. The 6'10" Williams will switch from power forward to the middle, and he's a bit undersized for the position. In fact, the Nets will have one of the league's smallest starting lineups this season, and thus they'll have a more difficult time on the boards than they did last year, when they were the NBA's best rebounding team. Nevertheless, Calipari is eying a postseason berth. "We need to be better than last year, and I think we will be," he says. "I think we will be there with the Clevelands and Indianas who are looking for the final spots." The playoffs may be just a dream for now, but by landing Van Horn, Calipari has finally awakened this long-dormant franchise. —Lars Anderson |
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