Pressure is on Kidd to deliver in playoffs for Dallas Mavericks
10:25 PM CDT on Friday, April 18, 2008
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
esefko@dallasnews.com
NEW ORLEANS – Jason Kidd has his eyes wide-open, and not just when he's leading a fast break and seeing teammates like nobody else can.
He sees other stuff, too, like what's written about him. And he hears what is being said. And if you are among the many who think the Mavericks' playoff run – be it long or short – will define Kidd's legacy as a Maverick, he understands.
He wouldn't have it any other way.
A lot of people think the pressure is on the 35-year-old point guard to lead the Mavericks to an extended playoff run. They gave up a quality young point guard in Devin Harris and a sizeable chunk of the franchise's future to get Kidd.
Now is the time to deliver the goods. At least, that's the perception.
Kidd's response?
"If it's on me, I enjoy that," he said in that soft-spoken but direct way he has about him. "I enjoy the competition. It's fun.
"I've always looked at Reggie Miller and guys like that who enjoyed sitting in that seat – how they handled it, how they responded. Some guys don't like to sit in that seat. Some guys do. I don't mind it. This is my job, and I enjoy my job."
So crank up the heat on that seat. Kidd is ready to take it as the Mavericks open the first round today at New Orleans Arena against the Hornets.
In Kidd's defense, there should be no debate about his ability to handle this situation. As recently as last season, he averaged a triple-double – 14.6 points, 10.9 assists, 10.9 rebounds – in 12 playoff games.
He's been in 100 career playoff games, more than Dirk Nowitzki or any of his other Mavericks teammates.
But the skeptics are out there. They say the Mavericks have to catch lightning in a bottle because there has been no tangible evidence to date to indicate this team is anything more than one-and-done in the playoffs.
After six seasons in New Jersey dealing with the glare of the demanding New York market – and two trips to the NBA Finals – anything Mavericks fans or local media can dish out will have no impact on Kidd.
"No, if it does, then I'm in trouble," he said. "I look at it as the best time of the year. You got 16 teams fighting for one goal and that's to win the big thing. You hope you're the team that represents the Western Conference to go against the East.
"There's really no pressure. The challenge is to find a way to win the series. That's the fun part. I've always felt that once you get to the playoffs, it's not about seedings. It's about who gets to four first."
Nowitzki is considerably optimistic about the possibilities with Kidd. Playing with a next-level point guard is a luxury the 7-footer hasn't had since Steve Nash left four seasons ago.
But he knows Kidd must play a certain way.
"We have to have him being aggressive," Nowitzki said. "The really good teams are going to play him for the pass, so he's going to have to keep them honest."
If Kidd veers from that mission, his coach will be there to let him know about it.
Avery Johnson, also perhaps feeling a fair amount of pressure as the playoffs open, has seen Kidd operate for two months. And he knows which Kidd must show up. It's the one who had 27 points against the Hornets on Wednesday in the regular-season finale.
He doesn't necessarily have to throw in that many points, of course. Just be a threat to do so.
"We've been kind of nudging Kidd to play that way for a while," Johnson said. "I like him when he's aggressive. He puts a lot of pressure on the defense. When he has those games where he doesn't look to shoot as much, we're not as good a team."
And as for Kidd's first instinct, which is to pass the basketball, Johnson added:
"It's a team game, but at the same time, we have men on the team that have more responsibility than others. They understand that. That's what we sign up for.
"And your quarterback has a significant role for any team. We think we've gotten Kidd much further along than where he was when he first got here. And we need to keep that momentum going."