Knicks fans finally got to see Carmelo Anthony start a game at the small forward position last night.
Of course, the circumstances were not what they wanted.
The Knicks went big against the Nets in Brooklyn when Jason Kidd, the man who did more to fuel the Knicks-Nets rivalry than anybody during his stay in New Jersey, was a late day scratch because of lower-back spasms. Kidd did not accompany the Knicks to Barclays Center for the first ever Knicks-Brooklyn Nets game. Kidd's status for the Knicks' game in Milwaukee tomorrow was not clear.
In his pre-game meeting with the media, Knicks coach Mike Woodson shed little light on the situation.
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Jason Kidd
"Don't know who's going to start," Woodson said before he answered a direct question about Kidd's condition with "don't know, I'll know more when I get in there [locker room]."
Woodson several times alluded to the Nets' size and the only hint he would counter with a Kong edition lineup was when he said, "They have a big front line and that gives us a chance to look at our bigs as well."
And the big he was looking at specifically at the beginning was veteran Kurt Thomas, who got his initial start of the season. Woodson opted to go big rather than simply insert J.R. Smith as the starting two guard.
Woodson has been comfortable with Smith's role as a dynamic offensive sixth man. The insertion of Thomas also allowed Anthony, averaging 25.6 points, to play his natural small forward position. With Amar'e Stoudemire out with a knee injury, Anthony has been playing the four spot all season.
And so Kidd, who was on the Nets' radar in the offseason before their available money ran low and he signed with the rival Knicks, sat out the historic encounter. Kidd signed for three years and $9 million with the Knicks.
Kidd when he arrived in New Jersey prior to the 2001-02 season, boldly proclaimed that the Nets would not be second best to the Knicks in the standings for long, a wild prediction because the Knicks routinely drop-kicked the Nets in the regular season. Kidd's words, though, proved prophetic as the Nets compiled a sterling 20-6 record against the Knicks during his time in New Jersey.
The move of the defensively sound 6-foot-7 Ronnie Brewer to the two guard instead of Kidd, gave the Knicks more size against 6-7 Joe Johnson.
fred.kerber@nypost.com
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