Last year with the Lakers, Farmar averaged 18 minutes, 7.2 points, 1.5 assist, and 1.4 rebounds per game. He shot 44% from the field and 38% from 3-point territory. Farmar has always been a scoring guard as you can tell from his stats. Playing as a lead guard Farmar would give you maybe 15 points, but only about 4 or 5 assists. These aren't great numbers, especially not good enough to be a starting point guard.
By signing with the Nets, Farmar has accepted a backup role behind 2-time all-star point guard Devin Harris. Harris has been in New Jersey for 2 years, and even though the team struggled last year with the worst record in the NBA with a 12-70 record, he is still considered a budding NBA star. Harris averages 35 minutes a game, 18 points, and 7 assists in his 2 years with Nets. He is the team star, and there is no way Farmar gets the start over him.
Why would Farmar leave his home town to play for the Nets? Farmar grew up in LA, went to Taft High School, and was a star point guard for UCLA and led his team to the National Championship Game in 2006 against the Florida Gators. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 26th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. In 4 years with the Lakers, Farmar won 2 championships. He was living the dream of any kid who plays basketball in Southern California, so it has Lakers fans wondering why would he leave?
He would have the same role in Los Angeles as he will in New Jersey next year--a back-up point guard. In Los Angeles, he would have a chance to play alongside with superstars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol in their quest for their 3rd straight NBA title. In New Jersey, he will play back-up to Devin Harris on the worst team in the NBA, whose hopes for making the playoffs is a long shot in the newly re-loaded Eastern Conference.
At the end of the day, people have to remember, its all about the money. This is the case with Jordan Farmar as well. He made $2 million last year with the Lakers, and he will make $4 million with the Nets next year. It really never was about becoming a starting point guard, that was just an excuse to say I want more money. This is the summer of NBA players getting paid before the predicted lock out next summer. Farmar fell into this category, as well as other free agents this off season such as Amare Stoudemire, Darko Milicic, Amir Johnson, and Brendan Haywood who all got paid way over their actual worth.
Many NBA franchises are going to regret this summer where they have thrown money at pretty much any free agent in sight. These huge contracts are going to lead to situations such as Allan Houston, Jermaine O'neal, and Rashard Lewis. We will see many these players traded in a couple years in blockbuster deals to match salaries, not worth.
New owner, and Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov promised New Jersey a championship in 5 years, he's not off to a great start. He missed out on the Lebron-Bosh-Wade sweepstakes, and low-balled Carlos Boozer and watched him raise a Bulls jersey on TV. Good luck to you New Jersey, wait, I mean Brooklyn Nets fans.
