It's an offer the Mavs can't refuse
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 3:57 pm
It's an offer the Mavs can't refuse
link
There are cons to Kidd deal, to be sure, but he gets them closer to title
12:27 AM CST on Thursday, February 14, 2008
Go ahead and get it out of your system.
Accuse the Mavericks of pushing the panic button. Lament the potential loss of a young, quick point guard in Devin Harris. Shake your head over why the team would want to tie its fortunes to a player who will turn 35 before the playoffs start.
Once you work through these emotions and discard your disbelief over how Devean George could throw a wrench into the proceedings, maybe then you can admit what you already know.
This is a move the Mavericks must make to give themselves a chance at the championship this season.
Until Jason Kidd is back in the uniform he wore to begin his career, no one can say this deal will happen. Talks broke down Wednesday over George's refusal to go to New Jersey. But it's hard to imagine the Mavericks and Nets have come this far to let George gum up the works. So let's get back to the core of this proposed deal.
When it comes to losing Harris, I feel your pain. Few people were on board with turning the point guard duties over to him.
I was. He's not the classic point in the mold of Chris Paul or Deron Williams, but he's fast, a superior defender and has shown significant improvement every year he's been in the league. He may never be an All-Star, but he will give those All-Star point guards fits over the course of his career.
Ask San Antonio's Tony Parker what he thinks of having to play against Harris.
All of that being said, here is something no one has paid enough attention to this season. When Mavericks coach Avery Johnson yanked the play-calling duties away from Harris 20 games into the season, he was saying he didn't trust Harris to run this team. He was saying Harris wasn't ready.
How far can a team go in the playoffs when the point guard isn't allowed to run the offense? How can Harris, or any other Mavericks player, develop the oncourt leadership Johnson craves if he calls plays from the bench?
This isn't college. That split-second of hesitation or indecision by the players can make a big difference in the final, frantic seconds of a close game.
Remember, the draft-night trade that landed Harris in Dallas came before Johnson joined the coaching staff. While Johnson has grown to admire Harris' development and promise, he has never really been an Avery guy. He doesn't fit the profile of what Johnson wants in a point guard.
Kidd does. He's tough. He knows who should get the ball and when. He's at his best late in games. Whom can you say that about on this Mavericks roster?
Dirk Nowitzki delivers in the clutch more than critics admit. But he doesn't have a lot of help. Josh Howard is great early, but his focus often shifts to the defensive end as the game wears on. How many big shots has he hit in the fourth quarter?
Jason Terry will hit big shots. But on the nights his shot is off, he doesn't give you much else. Jerry Stackhouse will fight to the end, but like Terry, his shot is erratic.
Kidd makes plays at the end of games. He imposes his will on the outcome. That is what Miami's Dwyane Wade did to the Mavericks in The Finals. That is what Golden State's Baron Davis did to them in the first round last season.
Now take a quick look at the Western Conference landscape.
San Antonio has Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.
Phoenix has Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shaquille O'Neal.
The LA Lakers have Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom.
If the Mavericks don't complete a deal for Kidd, do they have a threesome that can match what the Spurs, Suns and Lakers put on the floor?
No.
Anyone who has watched this team this season has gotten the sense that something is not quite right. Now we have confirmation that Johnson and the Mavericks front office agree.
Jason Kidd isn't on his way to Dallas just yet.
But at this point, how can the Mavericks not bring him back?
link
There are cons to Kidd deal, to be sure, but he gets them closer to title
12:27 AM CST on Thursday, February 14, 2008
Go ahead and get it out of your system.
Accuse the Mavericks of pushing the panic button. Lament the potential loss of a young, quick point guard in Devin Harris. Shake your head over why the team would want to tie its fortunes to a player who will turn 35 before the playoffs start.
Once you work through these emotions and discard your disbelief over how Devean George could throw a wrench into the proceedings, maybe then you can admit what you already know.
This is a move the Mavericks must make to give themselves a chance at the championship this season.
Until Jason Kidd is back in the uniform he wore to begin his career, no one can say this deal will happen. Talks broke down Wednesday over George's refusal to go to New Jersey. But it's hard to imagine the Mavericks and Nets have come this far to let George gum up the works. So let's get back to the core of this proposed deal.
When it comes to losing Harris, I feel your pain. Few people were on board with turning the point guard duties over to him.
I was. He's not the classic point in the mold of Chris Paul or Deron Williams, but he's fast, a superior defender and has shown significant improvement every year he's been in the league. He may never be an All-Star, but he will give those All-Star point guards fits over the course of his career.
Ask San Antonio's Tony Parker what he thinks of having to play against Harris.
All of that being said, here is something no one has paid enough attention to this season. When Mavericks coach Avery Johnson yanked the play-calling duties away from Harris 20 games into the season, he was saying he didn't trust Harris to run this team. He was saying Harris wasn't ready.
How far can a team go in the playoffs when the point guard isn't allowed to run the offense? How can Harris, or any other Mavericks player, develop the oncourt leadership Johnson craves if he calls plays from the bench?
This isn't college. That split-second of hesitation or indecision by the players can make a big difference in the final, frantic seconds of a close game.
Remember, the draft-night trade that landed Harris in Dallas came before Johnson joined the coaching staff. While Johnson has grown to admire Harris' development and promise, he has never really been an Avery guy. He doesn't fit the profile of what Johnson wants in a point guard.
Kidd does. He's tough. He knows who should get the ball and when. He's at his best late in games. Whom can you say that about on this Mavericks roster?
Dirk Nowitzki delivers in the clutch more than critics admit. But he doesn't have a lot of help. Josh Howard is great early, but his focus often shifts to the defensive end as the game wears on. How many big shots has he hit in the fourth quarter?
Jason Terry will hit big shots. But on the nights his shot is off, he doesn't give you much else. Jerry Stackhouse will fight to the end, but like Terry, his shot is erratic.
Kidd makes plays at the end of games. He imposes his will on the outcome. That is what Miami's Dwyane Wade did to the Mavericks in The Finals. That is what Golden State's Baron Davis did to them in the first round last season.
Now take a quick look at the Western Conference landscape.
San Antonio has Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.
Phoenix has Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shaquille O'Neal.
The LA Lakers have Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom.
If the Mavericks don't complete a deal for Kidd, do they have a threesome that can match what the Spurs, Suns and Lakers put on the floor?
No.
Anyone who has watched this team this season has gotten the sense that something is not quite right. Now we have confirmation that Johnson and the Mavericks front office agree.
Jason Kidd isn't on his way to Dallas just yet.
But at this point, how can the Mavericks not bring him back?