A passing interest in Kidd - The Boston Globe
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A passing interest in Kidd

It should come as no surprise, but Jason Kidd easily passes The Cooz Test. That's the one where Bob Cousy wants to know what's the ballhandler's first instinct as he brings the ball over halfcourt. You pass The Cooz Test if your first instinct is to pass the basketball.

That's Kidd to a tee.

The Nets' point guard went into last night's game against the Celtics needing eight assists to tie the Cooz for 12th place for career assists. He only got four, his lowest output in 15 games. It's only a matter of time, of course, and the Cooz, with 6,955 career dimes, is not the least bit perturbed he's going to drop another notch. Especially at the expense of Kidd.

"Jason Kidd is the purest of the point guards who's out there," Cousy said yesterday by telephone from Florida, where he is busy getting his handicap down to an 8. "Defensively, he's right there. And offensively, I think he's the most creative at the position since Magic [Johnson]. [John] Stockton was your working man's point guard -- just solid. I think Kidd is a little more creative."

Cousy did admit that he has yet to see the Suns play this season, but was told he would also love watching the equally creative Steve Nash. "It's good to see there are some teams who are starting to play the way we all thought they should play," Cousy said.

Gary Payton ("a two guard in a point guard's body," Cousy said) is the active career assists leader followed by Rod Strickland. Kidd is the only other active point guard among the top 14. The top five are Stockton, Mark Jackson, Johnson, Oscar Robertson, and Isiah Thomas.

Cousy was asked if he's now so accustomed to seeing players pass him that it's hardly worth noting.

"This may surprise you," he said, "but I have no idea how many assists I got. Or points. We just weren't into the individual stuff. But ask me about the six championships and we can talk all day."

Healthy outlook
Ah, the wonders of youth. Al Jefferson, on the injured list with a right ankle sprain and thought to be out at least four weeks, may be ready to play by the weekend, 10 days after the injury occurred. "He's making an unbelievable recovery," coach Doc Rivers said before last night's game. Jefferson suffered the injury against the Pacers Jan. 26 and has been diligently rehabbing since. Last night was the fourth game he missed of a minimum of five; he also will miss tomorrow night's game against Orlando. After that, all bets are off. Rivers thinks Jefferson may be able to practice today, although Jefferson expressed surprise when told of the coach's remarks. "I think Doc misses me," Jefferson said. "I think he misses yelling at me." Jefferson would be eligible to return for the Super Bowl Sunday game in Minnesota. Rivers hinted that that might be a distinct possibility, but Big Al said he'd wait until everyone weighed in. "Better safe than sorry," he said. A quick Jefferson return is likely bad news for Tom Gugliotta, who is again the leading candidate to develop another ailment (psst, it's the left ankle, Googs) and head back to the IL. Googs ended up logging a healthy 17 minutes last night, matching his longest stint of the season . . . Ricky Davis was limited to eight first-half minutes and then was told to go home. Rivers said Davis had the flu and Davis certainly played like something was wrong. He had one bizarre possession in which he nearly lost the ball three times, and then went up for a jumper and came down without the ball, but without attempting a shot. "I thought that was one of my better coaching decisions," Rivers said of sending Davis home . . . The Nets had to play without starting center Nenad Krstic in the second half. He was down with an upper respiratory infection. New Jersey had 10 available players, but two of them, Elden Campbell and Donnell Harvey, had been with the team for only one game. "Seems like we lose a player every day," Kidd said. "We've got to get some bodies. We cannot continue to keep playing 45 minutes a night." Kidd went 32 minutes last night and Vince Carter went 29 . . . Rivers on Carter: "He's playing as well as I've seen him -- ever. He's scoring, assisting, playing defense, doing all the things a lot of people said he wouldn't do. Good for him."

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