4. Kendall Gill, 1996-99
Kendall Gill was traded to New Jersey midway into the 1995-96 season, and the Nets were fortunate enough to have him for the tail-end of his prime. The 1996-97 campaign was the best individual one for Gill, who averaged a career-high 21.8 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game for a Nets team that floundered under John Calipari and finished at just 26-56 that year. His offensive skills deteriorated as the years went by, but Gill remained a killer defensive player and was proficient in the passing lanes.
He built up that reputation during his years with the Charlotte Hornets and Seattle Supersonics, but they peaked in Jersey. Gill averaged 1.9 steals per contest over the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons, and that number was good for eighth in the league during the latter. The subsequent year–when Gill’s offensive numbers were at their worst–he racked up 134 steals in 50 games during the lockout-shortened season and posted league-highs in steals and steals per game (2.7).
Next: No. 3