Pass the Advil

Jason Kidd sat out last night’s Net loss to the Knicks due to migraine headaches, just like half of working America conspicuously comes down with the flu the Monday after the Super Bowl. A week after the initial rumor that Kidd laid into his Net teammates when the team refused to provide him an extension, sources say the “Captain” missed last nights game in protest and will try to force a trade.

Kidd’s behavior is deplorable on many levels. Not only did he not suit up for the game, a game in which the Nets were already shorthanded, Kidd did not even show up at the arena. Meanwhile, teammate Josh Boone, also sitting out with migraines, was at the arena, and actually forced to suit up in the second half because of foul trouble. Leadership?

The Nets now have Kobe Bryant East on their hands, but at least Kobe spewed his venom in the off season, and last check he still shows up to play each and every night. Kidd will earn $19.7 million this season and another $21.37 million next, the same contract he started the season with, when he called this team “the most talented team I have played on.” My, how quickly things change. Once Kidd decided to take the floor with this team on Opening Night, without a complaint about the team or his contract, he committed to the Nets. Unwarranted in-season complaints make Kidd just another selfish, greedy athlete. If he wanted out, or a new contract, he should have made that clear in June, July, August, etc.

Three years ago Kidd ran Byron Scott out of town, he had a public break-up with his wife, and lest we forget this past summer’s run-in with a female accuser in Manhattan. The Nets stood behind him each time. Last season he openly campaigned to play with Kobe, over the summer he raved about playing with the Dream Team and how great suiting up with those players would be, wink, wink, then the Sports Illustrated article that made no secret that Kidd wants to join LeBron in Cleveland. The Nets front office eventually needs to weigh Kidd’s distractions and poor attitude against his contributions on the court. These actions disrespect his teammates, no matter what they say. He spit in their face by not showing up and saying they are not good enough.

Captain? Leader? Kidd hardly exhibits these traits off the court. If you point to the Nets record as the cause, then point to Jason Kidd as one of the problems because he has been on the court for all but one loss. The numbers are great, as good as ever, but Kidd has played sloppy at times, bad passes and lazy dribbling leading to a number of turnovers, and most important, when the Nets fall behind by 8 or 10 points and need on-court leadership, Kidd has not stepped up. He waits until after the game, using the media to deliver the message. Show some fire on the court, step up and make something happen when the team needs it.

Rod Thorn faces a defining moment for the franchise, stick it out, or trade Kidd and start to rebuild? If nothing changes on the court in the next few weeks, and we have seen no indication it will, Thorn has to seriously entertain a trade. But he should not let Kidd, or any team, hold him hostage since the aging guard is signed through next season, giving Thorn an entire off-season of sign and trade possibilities. But it looks inevitable, the face of the franchise will no longer be J. Kidd.