Farmar signs with Nets
Free agent Jordan Farmar has agreed to a three-year, $12-million contract with the New Jersey Nets. Farmar, 23, was a part of the 2009 and 2010 Los Angeles Lakers championship squad, averaging 6.9 points and 2.1 assists. He was also the no. 26 pick of 2006, drafted by the LA Lakers, which was acquired in a trade with Shaquille O’Neal going to the Miami Heat.
The wiry 6’2”, 180-lb. guard now joins Nets’ star guard Devin Harris and Keyon Dooling in the Nets lineup, setting-up an excellent backcourt game. The agreement is contingent on Farmar passing a medical.
Farmar was named to the all Pac-10 team and the all Pac-10 Tournament team, being one of the elite point guards from UCLA, where he played two seasons.
Farmar earned $1.2 million per year with Los Angeles for four years, and seeing his earnings triple will more than likely increase his on-court confidence, in the hopes of transforming him into a New Jersey key player, in which he clearly has the potential to achieve. With the Nets performing a young blood transfusion into their team, don't expect Farmar to be traded anytime soon, or at least be in the starting lineup for a while. Farmar, of Jewish descent, will be one of only two Jewish players in the NBA (the other being Omri Casspi of the Sacramento Kings). His father, Damon, played Baseball and Football in the minor leagues. Although he will be leaving his hometown of Los Angeles, he will still enjoy living in New York, with a bigger and heftier bank account. Whichever way it goes, it will surely be a better choice for him.
Farmar is an excellent addition to the already steep New Jersey roster, providing youth, athleticism and most of all, championship experience. He will definitely have more quality playing minutes, so expect an increase in his stats. Farmar as a back up point guard is a great option for the Nets, who seem to have lost its luster in the eastern conference.
Farmar is a gifted athlete who can be reliable in crunch time. He is an aggressive guard who likes to take it to the paint, which will be crucial if New Jersey wants to revive its status as a title contender in the future. He has the right build to become a defensive key player in the New Jersey lineup.
The New Jersey Nets also acquired French forward-centre Johan Petro and Travis Outlaw, which will further add depth to their lineup. Petro is needed to bulk up and solidify the Nets’ low-post game, an area the Frenchman can definitely handle. On the other hand, Outlaw is an athletic forward with decent playmaking skills that can boost New Jersey’s offence considerably.
Petro and Travis fill two holes in the Nets lineup, but they still come up short in the low-post game, an area that prospects such as Udonis Haslem or Argentinian Forward Luis Scola can take up with no problem. If they do acquire these players, the new Nets lineup will be a team to watch for in the future.
Nets head coach Avery Johnson will definitely have an edge in coming up with his backcourt game plan, with Farmar being a solid back-up point guard for key plays in both offense and defense. It is only necessary that Johnson realizes how much experience Farmar brings to the table, a crucial turning-point in a make or break situations. The championship-tested guard is expected to be the proverbial bench leader of the Nets in desperate situations. Undoubtedly, with Farmar’s arrival, the Nets are really rearing for a great performance next season.
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