Nothin' But Nets
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Brooklyn Nets: Calipari’s 1998 Nets Team That Almost Shocked the Bulls

By Jeremy Goldstein

24 Apr 1998: Head coach John Calipari of the New Jersey Nets talks with his guards Sam Cassell, Kendall Gill and forward Keigh Van Horne during a game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Nets 96-93.
24 Apr 1998: Head coach John Calipari of the New Jersey Nets talks with his guards Sam Cassell, Kendall Gill and forward Keigh Van Horne during a game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Nets 96-93. /
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HOW THE SQUAD WAS ASSEMBLED

SAM CASSELL (G):

Sam Cassell was a first-rounder out of Florida State who won titles in his first two NBA seasons with Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets. However, he would be cast-off three times remarkably quickly. First, he was shipped to Phoenix as part of a package for Charles Barkley, and after a solemn season, he was dealt to Dallas in a deal that sent Jason Kidd the other way. Less than 20 games into the 1997 season, he was sent to the Nets (with Chris Gatling) in a deal that sent Shawn Bradley to Dallas. BASKETBALL REFERENCE COMP: Imagine a hybrid of Jason Terry and Joe Dumars.

KERRY KITTLES (G):

The sharpshooting Kerry Kittles was the 8th pick Calipari’s first draft with the Nets (1996) out of Villanova. He served the team until 2004 before signing with the Clippers, and recently was the assistant coach for Princeton basketball. BASKETBALL REFERENCE COMP: Richard Hamilton/Danny Ainge

JAYSON WILLIAMS (C):

Acquired by the Nets in 1992 from the Suns for two second-round picks, Jayson Williams slowly worked his way from a fringe reserve to an All-Star in 1997-98. A tenacious rebounder, Williams’s career promptly ended after a gruesome leg injury in 1999. BASKETBALL REFERENCE COMP: Imagine if Tiago Splitter was an All-Star

KENDALL GILL (G/F):

Originally the 5th pick in the draft by the Hornets out of Illinois, Kendall Gill a 20 PPG scorer in his early days in the NBA before settling in as an ace defender. Originally traded to the SuperSonics for a season before being shipped backed to Charlotte a year later, he was traded to the Nets as part of a package for former all-star Kenny Anderson in 1996. BASKETBALL REFERENCE COMP: Wasley Matthews

KEITH VAN HORN (F):

One of the first stretch fours in the NBA, Keith Van Horn was the #2 pick by the 76ers in 1997 out of Utah. However, a draft-day trade saw him going to Nets immediately, where he stayed as an 18 PPG option until a 2002 trade back to the 76ers for Dikembe Mutombo. BASKETBALL REFERENCE COMP: Thaddeus Young with a green light, Marcus Morris

CHRIS GATLING (F):

Chris Gatling is known for sporting his signature headband, worn as a reminder of the head injuries he suffered as a child. An original late first-round pick by the Warriors in 1991, he was shipped to Miami before signing with Dallas as a free agent. He was part of the Shawn Bradley trade with Sam Cassell. BASKETBALL REFERENCE COMP: Tim Thomas/Corliss Williamson

SHERMAN DOUGLAS (G):

Nicknamed “The General,” Sherman Douglas literally signed on the first day of the 1997-98 regular season after a stint with the Bucks. BASKETBALL REFERENCE COMP: Mario Chalmers/Jarrett Jack