The Brooklyn Nets recently signed Jason Collins to a 10-day contract, making him the first openly gay active athlete in professional sports. This signing is a huge step forward for equality and sports, along with, equality in everyday life.
Courtesy: NBC New York
The Nets were very smart to sign Collins, as the playoffs get closer, as the move was right for so many basketball reasons. Brooklyn lacked interior presence and big man help off the bench, after losing their starting Center, Brooke Lopez, during the beginning of the season to a broken foot. This signing drastically improved two of the Nets’ biggest weaknesses in Lopez’s absence.
Collins is an adamant professional, with a very high basketball IQ. In his first game, against the Los Angeles Lakers, he played 10 minutes, did not score, notching two rebounds and a steal. This was a rough start, but I’m sure the more games he plays for Brooklyn, the better his stat box will look. In their win against the Lakers, the Nets were able to hold off a come back from Los Angeles, a big part to holding off that comeback was from the help of Collins in the paint. His defensive presence is a huge contributor to Brooklyn’s defensive stops.
It was reported that Glen Davis was the Nets’ first choice and Collins was their Plan B. I believe that Collins will be able to provide as much of even more to the Nets than Davis could, even though he is older and not as skilled offensively.
Courtesy: NY Daily News
This move also made sense because he has chemistry with the Nets already. He was a former teammate with Jason Kidd on the New Jersey Nets, with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce on the Boston Celtics and Joe Johnson on the Atlanta Hawks. This familiarity is going to help the team accept their new teammate.
There could not of been a better fit for Collins than the Brooklyn Nets, a team with a group of veterans who see Jason as an equal and respectable NBA veteran. As time progresses, his contributions will become more and more apparent. Once he gets comfortable, I believe he will be able to provide Brooklyn with at least three points and four rebounds off the bench. This signing is a big step for professional sports in Northern America, but it is also the right step for the Brooklyn Nets.
