Jason Kidd weighed his words carefully before speaking.

Inside the visitors' locker room Wednesday night at FleetCenter, the Nets point guard deliberated briefly before heaping some praise -- and turning up the heat a little -- on teammate Richard Jefferson.

For the second night in a row, the Nets rookie had contributed mightily to a Nets victory. For the second night in a row, Jefferson was on the floor in the final minutes of a close game and performed with the poise of a player beyond his years.

"I thought when I was walking out here if I should say he should be the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year," Kidd said. "But I don't know if he could handle that type of challenge."