Jason Kidd-Devin Harris discussion sure is tired
Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 5:10 am
The Jason Kidd-Devin Harris comparisons will continue for the next few years, so I don’t think it will make a difference that I am officially declaring a cease-fire in the discussions.
A kind of humorous sideshow developed after the trade and even continues to this day. It’s basically this: Were you for it or against it when it happened?
I was thoughtful enough to cover myself in both directions, declaring myself for it in a radio interview but against it in this newspaper. So I’m right no matter what — and also wrong.
But in declaring the cease-fire, I’m saying this. It doesn’t matter whether you were for it or against it. It does not make you more or less of an expert. Who could possibly care?
The pertinent point is this. It’s over. It happened. Kidd is a Maverick. Harris is a Net. The Mavericks have a better team with Kidd right now. The Nets will benefit in the future.
And didn’t everyone know that at the time the trade was made?
I’m bringing the issue up today because Harris has been on a roll in New Jersey, and that’s great. You would be hard pressed to find a nicer, more cooperative NBA player than Devin Harris, and anyone who has spent even a little time around him can’t help but to enjoy his success.
In a victory the first week of the season over the Pistons, Harris had 38 points and was so aggressive to the basket that he went to the foul line 24 times and made 20.
He then missed three games with a sprained ankle and the Nets were outscored by an average of 14.7 points a game.
When he returned, he played a back-to-back series against the Hawks and annihilated veteran Mike Bibby. Harris had 63 points and 18 assists in the two games and Bibby had 22 points and nine assists.
In a span of six games — three with Harris and three without him because of the ankle — the Nets’ stats looked like this.
Record with Harris: 3-0
Without Harris: 0-3
Avg. points with Harris: 112.3
Without Harris: 87.0
FG pct. with Harris: .481
Without Harris: .425
Free-throws attempted with Harris: 37.3
Without Harris: 20.3
The Nets, of course, are ecstatic.
"He’s gotten to the line 36 times in his last two games," Nets president Rod Thorn said last week. "That’s a lot of times. If he’s got you in an open court, he’s unguardable."
Harris said part of his success is because Nets coach Lawrence Frank has given him free reign.
"It’s just being in attack mode," Harris said, "and commanding that paint. Whether it’s getting to the free throw line, finishing at the basket, starting the fast break — it’s full-out attack mode all the time. If we stay in attack mode and stay within ourselves, with the guys we have to space the floor, and our ability to get in the lane and create havoc — me and Vince [Carter], both — this is the way the offense was designed to work."
If there is one bit of fascination left, it’s how Harris would have functioned in Rick Carlisle’s up-tempo offense. But, again, it’s now pointless to get into that because Harris will be back in a Mavericks uniform no quicker than Steve Nash.
At age 25, Harris is going to be around much longer than the 35-year-old Kidd, so ultimately the Nets will have something to show for the trade and the Mavericks won’t. But if you talk in private to the Mavericks players, who all admire Harris, they’ll tell you that they are much more optimistic about their chances for success right now with Kidd.
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