| Stephon Marbury |
Primary Offensive Engine (1.1) |
38.9 |
High (1.2) |
22.2 |
3.2 |
8.4 |
1.7 |
93.72 |
As the Nets’ primary offensive engine, Marbury had the ball in his hands constantly, creating off the dribble and carrying much of the team’s half-court creation. A contemporary ESPN preview described him as an All-Star-level point guard and one of the league’s top floor generals, while also noting his place among the NBA’s leading scorers and assist men. (ESPN) |
All-NBA Third Team (2000) |
| Keith Van Horn |
Stretch Forward Scoring Hub (1.05) |
34.8 |
High (1.2) |
19.2 |
8.5 |
2.0 |
1.6 |
78.88 |
Van Horn functioned as the frontcourt scoring hub beside Marbury, using his size and perimeter touch to stretch defenses while still providing substantial interior rebounding. ESPN’s preseason reporting identified his absence with a broken leg as a major problem for a Nets team whose frontcourt had already been weakened by injuries. (ESPN) |
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| Kendall Gill |
Defensive Wing Stopper (1.05) |
31.0 |
Medium (1.1) |
13.1 |
3.7 |
2.8 |
2.3 |
50.59 |
Gill’s value was rooted in disruptive perimeter defense rather than offensive volume. His long, aggressive defensive profile allowed him to pressure opposing wings and generate turnovers while contributing secondary scoring, and his defensive reputation was strong enough to place him eighth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. |
DPOY Voting: 8th (2000) |
| Kerry Kittles |
Two-Way Spacing Wing (1.05) |
30.6 |
Medium (1.1) |
13.0 |
3.6 |
2.3 |
1.6 |
47.36 |
Kittles supplied the kind of two-way wing play the Nets needed around Marbury and Van Horn, particularly as a perimeter spacer and off-ball scorer. His .400 three-point shooting gave the offense genuine floor-spacing value, while his knee problems limited him to 62 games; ESPN’s season preview specifically listed uncertainty over whether he would be available at all. (ESPN) |
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| Jamie Feick |
Starting Rebounding Specialist (1.05) |
27.7 |
Low (1.0) |
5.7 |
9.3 |
0.8 |
1.0 |
35.28 |
Feick was essentially the Nets’ interior workhorse, doing the dirty work around the glass and providing physical resistance against bigger frontcourts. ESPN’s preseason coverage identified him as another important injury concern, noting that he might have been a starter and that his absence compounded New Jersey’s frontcourt problems. (ESPN) |
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| Johnny Newman |
Veteran Scoring Reserve (1.0) |
21.5 |
Low (1.0) |
10.0 |
1.9 |
0.8 |
0.7 |
26.80 |
Newman’s role was veteran shot-making off the bench, with enough perimeter range and free-throw reliability to punish second units. His value was particularly evident late in the season, when his scoring bursts became a useful outlet for a Nets rotation increasingly affected by injuries. |
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| Scott Burrell |
Defensive Utility Wing (1.0) |
18.1 |
Low (1.0) |
6.1 |
3.5 |
1.0 |
1.5 |
24.20 |
Burrell gave New Jersey a flexible reserve wing who could defend multiple positions, rebound from the perimeter and space the floor. His role was low-usage by design, but the combination of 3.1 three-point attempts and 0.9 steals per game made him more than a purely situational substitute. Sporting News’ retrospective on his career describes his New Jersey tenure as a reserve role following his championship experience in Chicago. (Sporting News) |
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| Lucious Harris |
Second-Unit Perimeter Scorer (1.0) |
19.6 |
Low (1.0) |
6.7 |
2.4 |
1.3 |
0.9 |
22.60 |
Harris operated as a dependable second-unit perimeter option, capable of entering a game without demanding the offense revolve around him. His importance was magnified by the Nets’ injury problems, with ESPN’s season preview specifically identifying him as a player the club expected to count on off the bench. (ESPN) |
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| Sherman Douglas |
Backup Point Guard Organizer (1.0) |
15.5 |
Low (1.0) |
6.0 |
1.5 |
1.7 |
0.9 |
20.20 |
Douglas supplied veteran point-guard organization in short stretches, keeping the offense functional when Marbury left the floor rather than trying to replicate Marbury’s scoring load. ESPN’s preseason assessment noted his conditioning and experience while identifying him as part of the Nets’ depth behind their lead guard. (ESPN) |
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| Elliot Perry |
Reserve Playmaking Guard (1.0) |
13.4 |
Low (1.0) |
5.3 |
1.0 |
2.3 |
0.7 |
18.60 |
Perry was a compact reserve creator whose main responsibility was moving the ball and initiating offense when the Nets’ primary guards needed relief. His 2.3 assists in only 13.4 minutes reflect a distinctly playmaking-oriented reserve role rather than a scoring assignment. |
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| Jim McIlvaine |
Rim-Protecting Centerpiece (1.05) |
15.9 |
Low (1.0) |
2.4 |
3.5 |
0.5 |
2.2 |
18.06 |
McIlvaine’s offensive responsibilities were minimal, but his 7-foot-1 frame gave the Nets a genuine rim-protection option. The key distinction in his role was defensive deterrence: he could change possessions without needing touches, making his 1.8 blocks per game more representative of his function than his scoring. |
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| Evan Eschmeyer |
Rookie Interior Energy Big (1.0) |
12.0 |
Low (1.0) |
2.9 |
3.5 |
0.7 |
1.0 |
16.20 |
Eschmeyer entered as a developmental interior big who brought physical rebounding and activity rather than polished offense. His season was interrupted by injury, and the limited sample kept him in a complementary role, but the 52.8% shooting and 3.5 rebounds in 12 minutes showed why he remained useful as a young frontcourt option. |
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| Michael Cage |
Veteran Rebounding Specialist (1.0) |
12.1 |
Low (1.0) |
1.4 |
4.1 |
0.5 |
0.8 |
13.60 |
Cage’s role was almost entirely functional: provide veteran interior positioning, rebound and absorb frontcourt minutes when needed. At 38, he was no longer an offensive component, but his experience and willingness to work inside gave the Nets a stabilizing reserve presence during a season of constant roster disruption. |
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| Gheorghe Mureșan |
Situational Size Specialist (1.0) |
8.9 |
Low (1.0) |
3.5 |
2.3 |
0.3 |
0.4 |
13.00 |
Mureșan was a highly situational size option whose enormous frame could still create awkward matchups around the basket. His minutes were limited, but the Nets could use his height as a change-of-pace weapon when conventional frontcourt combinations were struggling. Sporting News notes that his final NBA seasons came with New Jersey before his career ended in 2000. (Sporting News) |
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| Mark Hendrickson |
Frontcourt Depth Piece (1.0) |
4.8 |
Low (1.0) |
0.2 |
0.4 |
0.6 |
0.0 |
2.40 |
Hendrickson was strictly a depth piece, appearing only briefly as the Nets cycled through frontcourt combinations. His role was essentially emergency size and foul coverage rather than a defined rotation assignment, making the small sample more indicative of roster depth than regular tactical usage. |
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| Team Totals |
— |
241.8 |
— |
98.0 |
40.9 |
20.6 |
13.6 |
— |
The 1999-00 Nets were built around Marbury’s creation, Van Horn’s scoring and Gill’s defensive activity, but recurring injuries repeatedly disrupted the intended rotation. Contemporary ESPN reporting highlighted the club’s frontcourt injuries, uncertainty around Kittles and the expectation that Marbury would carry the backcourt. (ESPN) |
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