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Man on the spot Van Horn will largely determine Nets' Finals fatePosted: Wednesday June 05, 2002 9:55 AM
LOS ANGELES -- As a rookie in 1997, Nets forward Keith Van Horn used to walk the streets of Manhattan unnoticed. He and his wife, Amy, would shop, grab a bite at a deli and attend mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral without so much as a passing glance from busy New Yorkers. Even at 6-foot-10, Van Horn had a knack for blending into his surroundings. His NBA career has been much the same. Despite being drafted No. 2 overall (behind Tim Duncan) and becoming the Nets’ highest-paid player ($10.9 million this season), Van Horn has shown a remarkable ability to fly under the radar. While other so-called franchise players have come under heat for their failures, especially in the Gotham tabloids, Van Horn has managed to get a free pass. Until now, that is. When the Nets take the floor against the Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, Van Horn will be on the spot. Jason Kidd might be New Jersey’s best player -- and the main focus of L.A.’s defense -- but Van Horn will largely determine his team’s fate. As teammate Aaron Williams said earlier in the playoffs: "It seems like every time he plays good, we win." Against the Lakers, Van Horn must find a way to exploit L.A.’s weakness at power forward by providing some kind of low-post scoring dimension. He also must consistently hit his outside shots to make the Lakers pay for sagging on Kidd, while remembering to hit the boards to ignite New Jersey’s fast break. "The thing I want to concern myself most with is rebounding," said Van Horn, who is averaging 14.0 points and 6.9 rebounds in the playoffs. "We’ve got to rebound and get the ball into Jason’s hands." Though Van Horn often struggles to score on the blocks, he said he won’t hesitate to try to work over the 6-foot-9 Robert Horry or the 6-foot-7 Rick Fox, as long as it comes in the flow of the offense. If the Lakers crowd him on the perimeter, he said he will put the ball on the floor and drive it into the lane in hopes of drawing fouls on center Shaquille O’Neal. "I really believe we need to attack the basket," Van Horn said. "I feel that when we were successful against Boston, we scored well in the paint." For Van Horn, who grew up in Diamond Bar, Calif., the Finals figure to be a career-defining moment. In his first five NBA seasons, he has failed to live up to the hype of his rookie campaign, when then-teammate Jayson Williams predicted he’d be the best player since Michael Jordan. Instead he has been a good player -- with career averages of 18.2 points and 7.6 rebounds -- but not quite a star. Although he's a deadly outside shooter and a gifted passer, Van Horn’s inability to score consistently inside (he owns a career 43.4 percent shooting mark) and lack of defensive quickness have prevented him from reaching his potential. He also has been criticized for being soft. His own coach, Byron Scott, publicly implored Van Horn to be more aggressive before the start of the playoffs. To his credit, Van Horn has responded with his best basketball of the season. He scored 27 points in New Jersey’s series-clinching Game 5 win over the Pacers in the first round and knocked down huge 3-pointers in Games 5 and 6 of the Celtics series. He’s also been showing more emotion on the court, raising his arms in a "V" after big shots and pumping his fists. "There are emotions in games," the normally soft-spoken Van Horn said. "Sometimes it just comes out." Van Horn’s newfound confidence couldn’t have come at a better time for his teammates. With the Lakers vulnerable at power forward, the Nets need Van Horn to win his matchup. "We need Keith to just play with confidence and do the things he’s capable of doing," teammate Kerry Kittles said. "Obviously, he’s got a lot of talent. He can make a lot of plays for this team and cause problems for the Lakers’ power forwards. So we have to get big games from him, no question about it." If Van Horn comes through, the Nets just might have a chance to make history. However, his days of going unnoticed on Manhattan streets would surely be history.
Marty Burns covers pro basketball for CNNSI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment.
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