NET NOTES
PHILADELPHIA – You lose a point guard, you gain a point guard. And no disrespect meant to anybody, but the Nets gained the point guard they wanted.
While Jason Kidd pronounced himself fit to play against the Sixers here last night, Chris Childs was headed back up the New Jersey turnpike to battle a stomach virus that had made victims of Kidd and Richard Jefferson in recent days.
While Childs has not figured into the picture of late, Kidd is, well, Kidd, the reason the Nets have become who they are.
“I talked to [Kidd] and he said he felt great,” Byron Scott said before the Nets sought to move into a tie for the top record in the East with idle Indiana. “I talked to him and he said he was ready.”
Kidd, who returned Monday after sitting two games with a groin strain, skipped practice and the team trip here Tuesday with the stomach virus. Scott said he would keep a careful eye on Kidd and substitute earlier than usual.
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Sixers center Todd MacCulloch is downright frustrated. The likeable center has been getting treatment for CIDP, a nerve disorder that affects his hands and feet. His minutes are down and his productivity has suffered.
“[The doctors] getting a lot closer to pinning it down. They’re still not 100 percent sure of what’s going on. We’ve got a pretty good idea of the family and we’re treating it that way and the results can take a long time,” MacCulloch said. “There are different components, sensations I feel.
“I’m not being used a whole lot. My minutes have been cut dramatically and I haven’t been real effective the last several weeks,” he added. “It’s really frustrating. It’s been a very trying time.”
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Scott said Rodney Rogers (calf) has lost weight, gained muscle and looks “fantastic.” Rogers may play Tuesday in Orlando.
“It’s a possibility,” Scott said. Rogers missed his 11th straight game last night.
Biggest difference in the Sixers from recent seasons? Defensive-minded Philly now ranks 25th in field goal percentage allowed. No need to go on.
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Kenyon Martin sought his 22nd straight game of eight rebounds or more.
When Martin scored 35 against Seattle, it marked the first time this season any Net other than Kidd scored 30. Kidd has had six games of 30 or more with a high of 41.