Despite a preseason shooting percentage dangerously close to Mike DeFelice’s batting average, the Nets’ Jason Kidd claims he’s ready for tonight’s opener with the Raptors. From the Newark Star-Ledger’s Dave D’Allessandro.

Is there anything he can’t do now that he was able to do before the knee surgery he had in the summer of 2004?

“Dunk,” he said. “But I could barely do that when I was young. That’s about it. I’m better now than I was 10 years ago, on knowledge alone, understanding what it takes to win — much better. I thought last year I could do everything I did before the surgery. I felt I could run as well, get to spots, defend as well. Rebound, finding open guys, score when I had to.”

Another pause.

“Maybe they want me to shoot 25 times a night?” he asked. “Do they know that’s not my role?”

There’s the rub, perhaps. While Richard Jefferson’s assertion is spot-on — “Anyone who measures J-Kidd by his stats is just an idiot,” he said — it’s become difficult to define Kidd’s role. Here’s what he is not: a scorer. Especially on this team, one in which Nenad Krstic, Vince Carter and Jefferson will average 16 shots apiece and three bench guys could each get as many as 10 every game.

“It sounds like some people want me to be more selfish, or get me to get riled up. Do I look riled up yet? I mean, calling me old. . . . (John) Stockton was the oldest point guard in the league for years, but his peers knew he was the best no matter how many minutes he played. That’s just the respect he earned. That’s the true measure — how your peers feel about you. So it’s inconsequential when people say you can’t run anymore.”

There’s been some self-righteous criticism of other bloggers around here the past few days, so I’m gonna try to say someting nice : Nate Robinson’s blog really makes you appreciate David Wright’s.

Hindsight being 20/20, let’s give it up for the least prescient of last season’s prognostications, but my favorite just the same.

After all the outcry surrounding Mookie wearing Cards swag during the World Series, I look forward to similar howls of protest surrounding the Tru Warier brandishing the T-Wolves claws (pic swiped from ‘Lil Dice and I Heart KG)