When Avery Johnson looks at Kris Humphries, he sees a coachable guy, a fierce competitor, a team-first performer. All the things the Nets coach believes in unfailingly.
When Kris Humphries looks at Avery Johnson, he sees all those same traits.
"Just having a coach, kind of having the same beliefs in what he values. Hard work, practicing hard, playing hard, going after everything and he rewards guys who play like that," the forward said, explaining what it was that helped him blossom into more than an offensive-minded player.
Humphries faces a marquee opponent in Clippers All-Star rookie Blake Griffin tonight when the Nets seek their fourth consecutive victory -- minus Deron Williams for a second straight game. Humphries accepts the challenge.
"Every game is a challenge," he said. "The NBA is full of great talent, great players."
Humphries is in a good frame of mind to face Griffin. Humphries has five straight double-doubles, 21 on the season (OK, Griffin has 54). In his past five games, Humphries averaged 15.6 points and 15.0 rebounds. Defensively, he has been everything Johnson requires, protecting the basket, producing "emphatic" blocks.
"When you look at our season, if it were to come to an end, you can look at Humphries as being a real nice success story," Johnson said. "Just the way he's come into his own. . . . If our record had been better, he would have been a guy that would garner a lot of votes for Most Improved Player this year. His attitude: very coachable. He's a fierce competitor and he's a good teammate."
Humphries suggests that some of his aggression comes from his mixed-martial-arts training. Some might say it's from ducking the paparazzi with girlfriend Kim Kardashian. Whatever, he has been invaluable to the Nets, one of the league's top bargains after he chose not to opt out of his $3.2 million final year. Humphries quickly points out that he has stayed pain-free this season, escaping the knee tendinitis that plagued him for the past four years.
So it's mental and physical that has placed protecting the basket on the top of his "to do" list. Look at his first meeting with Griffin. The rookie stud had 11 points and a personal low three rebounds. Humphries took a charge early and it affected Griffin's aggression.
"It's a mental thing. I've got to protect the basket," Humphries said. "Coach Avery stresses chasing down guards in transition, getting blocks, really being aggressive. That's his mentality. It's rubbed off on me."
And Humphries has rubbed off on his coach.
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Archbishop Molloy's Sundiata Gaines officially got his second 10-day contract yesterday.
fred.kerber@nypost.com
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