Kris Humphries: New Jersey Nets Forward Evolving into Offensive Threat

When the 2011-12 season began, Kris Humphries was thought to be a rebounding power forward who would do some of the dirty work in the paint for the New Jersey Nets.

But, as the season goes on, it seems that offense is another part of Humphries' game that teams have to plan for.

Last night against the Derrick Rose-less Chicago Bulls, Humphries scored 24 points along with 18 rebounds in the Nets' 97-85 win. It was Humphries' second straight game with 24 points and it was the 12th time he scored 15 points or more in a game this season.

His scoring average has risen each month, posting 12.8 points per game in December with a slight increase to 12.9 in January. But this month has been Humphries' best, as he is averaging 14.1 points per game in February.

With a decent short-range jump shot, Humphries does most of his scoring in the paint with the help of an all-world point guard in Deron Williams. Clearly, Williams alone has helped elevate Humphries' offensive game this season.

The more I watched Humphries play, the more he looks like what could be a perfect complement to Dwight Howard. Even without the scoring, a rebounding specialist like Humphries would be a nice fit next to D12 if the Nets can land him in a deal.

But throw in an offensive ability and that makes Humphries a long-term solution for New Jersey at power forward.

I'm sure Humphries' name will come up in any trade discussions for Howard. If the Nets can avoid dealing him, they have the potential to have a very good front court for years to come.