Winning debut for Kidd and Nets

Stuart Ramson/AP

Jason Kidd trades in jersey for suit and tie, and he tips off new career with smile as Nets bounce Wizards in preseason opener.

WASHINGTON - The caveat for this and everything for the next three weeks is that it's only preseason, a small sample size of an unfinished product from every team on the court.

But it's noteworthy that during their first game together against another NBA team, the Nets' first unit was fluid with impressive ball movement, Jason Kidd took control of the huddles and Kevin Garnett demonstrated the type of leadership we saw for many years in Boston.

'(Winning) is not important for this one. Not the first one,' Kidd said. 'The first one is about us understanding what Nets basketball is all about.'

Well, the Nets won over the Wizards, 111-106, in overtime, a backdrop to the various storylines of Tuesday night.

After taking a backseat to his assistants at summer league in July, Kidd was certainly more assertive in his preseason coaching debut, which he navigated without his lead assistant and top teacher, Lawrence Frank, who didn't travel because of personal reasons. It was success in a suit for the rookie coach.

Kidd, who will coach the seven preseason games before serving his two-game suspension in the regular season for his DUI conviction, limited the regular starters to 12 minutes each - all in the first half - before the third-stringers blew a lead late in the fourth quarter and recovered in OT.

Deron Williams was inactive because of an ankle injury.

It was all an interesting sight in front of a sparse crowd at the Verizon Center, considering Paul Pierce wore a different NBA uniform for the first time in 15 years and Garnett started as Brooklyn's power forward.

But any transition appeared seamless on the first night of preseason, especially for Garnett, who was leading the huddles on the bench, barking directions on defense and rising first to encourage teammates.

'I don't like change, but I feel like in order to get better, I think change has to happen in some situations,' Garnett said. 'I've adapted to the change and everything is flowing pretty well right now. I'm going to try to continue to keep it like that.'

Brook Lopez dropped 15 points in his cameo alongside Garnett, who finished with four points and seven rebounds. Pierce hit the first shot of the night just 15 seconds after tip-off. Andrei Kirilenko had the line of the night with 11 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals in 24 minutes.

Still, despite all the encouraging signs from Tuesday, there's an understanding that it's an incomplete evaluation, especially without Williams. The point guard said he will also miss Saturday's game against Detroit.

'Until Deron gets back, ultimately that's when we are going to understand what our true potential is,' Pierce said. 'He's going to be the engine that drives this and there's only so much we can do until he gets back.'

So far, though, so good.

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