[monty55555]

Dallas Mavericks' trade for Jason Kidd looks better with age

If Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson call up NBA stats on their laptops today, they'll probably smile -- but they won't be surprised. They never doubted the decision they made two years ago when they traded for Jason Kidd.

They knew they were giving up an outstanding young point guard in Devin Harris, but even though he was 10 years younger than Kidd, no one had him penciled in for the Hall of Fame.

There is little doubt that Kidd -- the greatest 6-foot-4 franchise player in the history of the NBA -- will be in the Hall. He ranks second behind only John Stockton in career assists and his feat of directing the lowly Nets to two NBA Finals is the equivalent of someone hitting or pitching the Rangers to the World Series twice.

For the Mavericks, however, career achievements are insignificant compared to the present. And there is little doubt that Kidd has proven to be a better fit for this team than Harris, who will visit Dallas along with the Nets tonight at 7:30 in American Airlines Center.

Kidd will be 37 in two weeks, but consider the individual matchup between Kidd and Harris this season.

Kidd leads Harris in minutes played, field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage and free-throw percentage, and averages more rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. He also has fewer turnovers.

Harris leads Kidd in exactly one category -- scoring average.

Kidd also starts for a team that is 44-21 and contending for the best regular-season record in the league. Harris starts for a team that is 7-56 and desperately trying to avoid becoming the worst team in NBA history.

There is also a matter of health. Harris has missed 10 or more games five times in his seven-year career. Kidd has missed 10 or more only four times in a 16-year career.

In the last six years, including the current season, Harris has missed 75 games while Kidd has missed eight, and one of those was because Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle gave him a night off to rest.

He is, after all, almost 37 (you know -- old!) and when you're more effective than guards 10 years your junior and your team is in the midst of a double-digit win streak, if the coach asks you to take a day off, you do it.

When Carlisle ordered Kidd to rest, he was asked whether he had confidence that backups J.J. Barea and Roddy Beaubois could fill in for Kidd.

"When you've got a guy playing in a different stratosphere, anybody playing behind him is going to seem like they are not playing at the same level," Carlisle said. "The truth is nobody is at that level right now. He's playing at as high of a level as anybody in this league at the point position."

The stats and the Mavericks' win column support that.

Kidd currently ranks fifth in the NBA in assists with 9.4 a game, but even though that has been his major strength during his career, it is secondary to two other categories.

Kidd again leads all full-time guards in rebounding with 5.5 per game. That's more than Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, Deron Williams or Chauncey Billups.

Kidd has never been a good shooter. He has made only 40.3 percent of his shots during his career.
But since he returned to Dallas in 2008, something strange has happened. At the time of the trade to the Mavericks, Kidd had made 33.4 percent of his 3-point attempts during his career.

In this second tour in Dallas, however, he has made 41.6 percent of his 3-point shots. That, in fact, is exactly what he is shooting this season, and he ranks 12th in the league.

But there is a better stat.

Of players who have attempted 300 or more 3-point shots, Kidd ranks second in the league in percent made. Only Phoenix's Channing Frye, who has made 43.4 percent of his shots, is more accurate than Kidd.

Despite Kidd's overwhelming statistical advantage, the Nets would still make the trade today. It is, in fact, one of those deals that has worked out for both teams, although there are not only questions of Harris's durability, but also of his future in New Jersey.

Like every other team in position for the No. 1 pick in the draft, the Nets are drooling over the possibility of drafting Kentucky point guard John Wall. If they get the No. 1 pick, Harris will either get more time at shooting guard, or he will be used in a trade.

Still, that should work out for the Nets. And there is every reason to believe that Kidd can continue to be effective for the Mavericks for the next two years of his contract.

The perceptive Dallas fan has to be excited about life after Kidd, however. How comforting is it for Mavericks fans to know that Rocket Roddy Beaubois, the point guard of the future, is learning his craft from Jason Kidd?

http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/03...for-jason.html