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Dumping Hump gives Nets big bump

Coach P.J. “Peej” Carelismo has made the tough decision and benched Kris Humphries, and for that, Brooklyn should be thankful.

Carelismo elected to go with Bosnian big man Mirza Teletovic over Humphries — moving the big-name, big-contract baller off of the 10-man rotation after a season of offensive struggles.

It’s a bold decision, not just due to Humphries’ fame, but also due to team strategy.

The two ballers are the same height and play the same position, but as power forwards, they couldn’t differ more.

Teletovic will give the Nets a much-needed boost in front court scoring, helping a team that ranked last in point at the four-spot all season, according to HoopsStats.com.

But don’t look for this big man in the paint — he operates primarily from the perimeter, spreading the floor for outside shooters and providing an additional long-range threat.

Think Dirk Nowitzki, only Bosnian and without the post-up game.

Humphries takes a more conventional approach to the position: banging with the other big bodies in the paint.

But even though he looks the part, Humphries has not provided much by the way of scoring this year — averaging just 5.5 points per game on 43 percent shooting compared to 13.8 points on 48 percent shooting last season.

So far, Carelismo’s decision to go with the unproven Teletovic over Humphries is paying off, despite the team’s listless performance against a struggling Philadelphia 76ers team on Monday.

Teletovic’s numbers haven’t been particularly impressive since he started getting Humphries’ minutes, but he gives Brooklyn the ability to space the floor.

Defenses respect Teletovic as a dangerous shooter, often closing out quickly when he gets the ball on the perimeter, allowing him to make the smart pass around the outside to the open man — as was the case when Deron Williams set an NBA record by sinking nine threes in the first half against Washington last week.

In order to be a real threat, the Nets will need scoring from every spot on the floor.

Questions remain about Teletovic’s defense and rebounding ability, but “Peej” made the right call by shaking up the line up to help the team finally realize its offensive potential.

Tom Lafe is a 6-foot-5 sports-world insider with a middling high school basketball career who believes the Nets will be driven by the success of the team’s big men.