Last year, Jason Collins announced his sexual orientation when he was soon to a be free agent, the media seemed to wonder if an NBA team would be willing to take a chance on him.

With his new 10 day contracts, it seems that the Nets took a chance on Collins exactly for that reason.

Collins’ story is a prime example in which a sociopolitical concern has eclipsed and influenced the outcome of the issue itself. We are so focused on the barriers broken that his on court contributions are negligible. The fact that he was signed to an NBA contract seems to validate his value.

For a basketball purist, the issue is not Collin’s sexual orientation. The question is if Collins has the talent to contribute to an NBA team’s success more than any other free agent.

In short, the answer is no.

I can name five free agents at his position better than Collins that are not on a NBA team. In no particular order, they are: Joel Przybilla, Daniel Orton, Trey Thompkins, Ivan Johnson, Chris Wilcox, and Antawn Jamison.

That’s six, upon the many other individuals more deserving of an NBA roster spot as a job for livelihood.

Does Jason Collins improve the Nets?

Certainly not by talent: Collins played garbage time against the Bulls Monday night.

Collins’ only contributions to the Nets are off the court.

Because of the attention about his sexual orientation, Collins has produced positive press and ticket sales for the Nets and the league. While he is less than mediocre on the floor, Collins creates buzz more than any other free agent and perhaps any other player in the league, and the league seems to be exploiting the situation.

Televised Nets games give Collins a cameo every few minutes.

Revenue from his jersey sales, which is among the league’s top selling is donated to the Matthew Shepard foundation and Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, two advocate organizations for LGBT awareness.

As feel good as this is, if both aren’t about buzz and a social cause, I don’t know what is.

The NBA should be about showcasing the best basketball talent in the world. Instead, the league and its teams use whatever possible when plausible to improve image (i.e. Allen Iverson), gain viewership, and generate revenue streams. That’s not basketball.

In the history of the sport, Collins will be best remembered for his staunch defensive play. He played a significant role as the starting center for the Nets during the 2003 and 2004 NBA Finals.

Today for NBA standards, Collins is old. He’s been decimated by injury, too. He was mediocre 10 years ago, and now he’s a shell of the player he was.

Sure, he may show some glimpses, but Jason Collins doesn’t belong in the NBA, regardless of his identity.