The official what Jason Kidd does to make his teammates better observation thread.

[Arne]

Let me start this thread off with a couple of things I've noticed. - Some of them might be pretty obvious but I just like the idea of having all of these little thing the Kidd does packed in one thread.

- Dirk gets the ball exactly where he wants it and WHEN he wants it. By "when" I mean that he gets the ball while stopping at the key or at the threepoint line and not a couple of seconds after he has established his position.

- Jason Terry doesn't have to handle the ball that much anymore. He gets the easy baskets in transition and gets a lot of clean looks from beyond the arc, which he converts at a high rate.

- Erick Dampier gets the ball where he wants it (high above his head), how he wants it (soft and easy to catch) and whenever he is free (not "only when you started the game with a nice basket or a nice block, or whenever you're showing some passion"). This is a huge plus because Dampier doesn't always show how passionate he really is about the games and therefore sometimes got the blame even though others where as bad as he was but were "passionate about it".

- Jerry Stackhouse is getting some easy hoops in transition like everyone else and therefore cuts down on his desire for isolation plays. In addition he can get back to his threepointer from the corner where he's most effective in doing it.

- Josh Howard is pretty awful these days and not even Stockton or Magic could help him right now...


So keep posting all your little observations right here. Any more details anyone?

[dude1394]

What a great observation about dampier, especially with respect to he gets the ball when he's open not just ("only when you started the gam")..

This has driven me crazy about the mavs. It has occurred just about every year that avery's been coaching. They start off the season looking for damp but then as the season goes on it's less and less and less of even looking for him.

I think Dirk/Stack look for him and devin/jet would give him wrap-around passes and dump-offs.

He's NEVER had a point that could lop it up enough accurately when he had his man helplessly pinned and ready for a dunk, NEVER.

[dude1394]

I really like the way Kidd rebounds below the ft line. Once he gets his hands on the ball, he's a danger to throw a perfect pass downcourt.

Our rebounding numbers. We'll see if they hold up.
Season - 42.64 diff +2.8
Last 5 games - 44.2 diff +6.20

[Dtownsfinest]

How can you observe this in just 4 games though? In the 4 games i've seen i'd agree with your observations thus far. But he's not doing much for Josh Howard if Kidd's game is to make players around him better.

[fluid.forty.one]

If you've been watching the games you'd realize that that is 100% Josh Howard's fault. I've never seen so many ill-advised shots from a mav since Walker left.

[twelli]

Kidd is showing the whole team how much fun it is to pass the ball.

Hopefully he is mentoring Barea a bit and is helping him to make better decisions with the ball.

According to Avery, he makes his teammates run faster, cause they know they will get the ball when they are open on the break.

[Dtownsfinest]

Originally Posted by fluid.forty.one

If you've been watching the games you'd realize that that is 100% Josh Howard's fault. I've never seen so many ill-advised shots from a mav since Walker left.

It may be his fault but when Kidd was brought in here I automatically thought Josh would be the one most effective by his addition because he can attack the rim similiar to a Richard Jefferson and Kenyon Martin who Kidd found around the rim at all times. Haven't seen Josh get any easy baskets since Kidd's addition. Its not Kidd's fault all i'm saying is I think it takes more than 4 games for me to determine how well the Kidd acquisition is paying off. I'm liking what I see on the offensive end thus far.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Living the Fantasy: The Kidd Effect
By NBA TV's Rick Kamla

It’s highly ironic that the Mavericks went small when everyone else got bigger, but their deadline deal for Jason Kidd is reaping immediate dividends.

First of all, the Mavs are 3-1 since Kidd’s return to Dallas, including the last three in a row by an average of 13. Yes, those wins came against Memphis, Minnesota, and Chicago, but the Mavs played well enough in those games to beat anyone in the league.

To wit, in four games with Kidd, the Mavs are up in assists (19.9 to 23.5), field goal percentage (.462 to .471), and three-point percentage (.339 to .397). Ironically, they are averaging 98 points per game in four games with Kidd as opposed to 99.3 on the season. Avery Johnson has to be happy about the increase in steals, from 5.8 per game on the season to 9.8 in four games with Kidd.

And to the surprise of no one, Kidd has had a positive effect on all of his new teammates.

Let’s start with Dirk Nowitzki, who has said after one practice with Kidd that the magical point guard “makes passes you can only dream about.” If you read between the lines, Dirk is really saying—and I paraphrase—thank God we finally found a comparable replacement for Steve Nash. What I’m really saying is that—with apologies to Jason Terry and Devin Harris—there was a distinct drop-off at the one after Nash left.

But now the Mavs are running again. Now the Mavs are getting easy baskets again. Now the Mavs are really fun to watch again. And it’s all because of Kidd.


Dirk has exploded since the All-Star break, pushing his value in eight-category leagues up from 13th on the season to seventh in four games with Kidd. Dirk’s shots are actually down from 16.7 per game on the season to 16 with Kidd, but his three-point accuracy has skyrocketed from 29 percent on the season to 67 percent with Kidd. Here’s a side-by-side look at the change in Dirk’s production…

Season stats: 23.2 points / 8.7 rebounds / 3.9 assists / 48% FG pct / 0.8 threes per game

4 games with Kidd: 29.0 points / 8.0 rebounds / 2.8 assists / 61% FG pct / 1.5 threes per game

If this Dirk-Kidd thing keeps gaining momentum and the Mavericks finish with the best record in the Western Conference, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Dirk matches Nash with back-to-back MVP awards.


Like Dirk, Kidd’s fantasy value is on the rise since the trade. On the season, Kidd ranks 25th across the primary eight categories, but he’s been the ninth best player in 8-cat leagues in four games with Dallas. If Dirk and Kidd both remain in the top 10, they would join Nash (eighth) and Amare Stoudemire (fifth) as the only teammates in the 8-cat top 10. Here’s a look at the difference in Kidd’s stats this season with New Jersey and Dallas…

51 games with New Jersey: 11.3 points / 8.0 rebounds / 10.4 assists / 1.5 steals / 37% FG pct

4 games with Dallas: 8.3 points / 6.8 rebounds / 11.3 assists / 3.8 steals / 54% FG pct

It’s interesting to note that Kidd’s three-point shooting is down in Dallas, as he sacrifices shots for Dirk, Terry, Josh Howard, and even Erick Dampier. After hitting 1.6 threes on 4.6 attempts per game in New Jersey (36 percent), Kidd is carefully knocking down 0.5 threes on 1.3 attempts per game in Dallas (40 percent). I would expect the number of made threes to hover around one per game the rest of the way, as Avery has already told Kidd to shoot more.


Terry has benefited from both Kidd’s arrival as well as getting his starting job back. He’s the 62nd ranked 8-cat player on the season, but he’s up 14 spots to No. 48 in four games with Kidd. Here’s a look at the specifics…

Season stats: 15.3 points / 1.1 steals / 47% FG pct / 1.9 threes per game

4 games with Kidd: 16.8 points / 1.8 steals / 51% FG pct / 1.5 threes per game


Did you see Dampier on Monday against the Bulls on NBA TV? If not, shame on you. If so, you saw one of the best games of Damp’s life, as he racked up season highs with 16 rebounds and seven blocks. Damp has looked like a different player ever since the trade and Kidd has a lot to do with that, obviously.

That said, the absence of DeSagana Diop has created more responsibility for Damp, whose minutes are up from 23.4 on the season to 31.3 in the last four games. Thus, it’s no coincidence that Damp’s 8-cat ranking is up from 146th on the season to 53rd since the trade. Here’s a look at the vitals for the Mavs’ center…

Season stats: 5.7 points / 7.2 rebounds / 1.4 blocks / 64% FG pct

4 games with Kidd: 8.0 points / 9.3 rebounds / 2.8 blocks / 75% FG pct


I’ve saved the most confusing for last, as J-Ho’s numbers are down since the arrival of Kidd, but it has nothing to do with Kidd. It has everything to do with Josh coming back early from a back injury that cost him the two games before the All-Star break. Had Josh been picked by the coaches as an All-Star reserve, the sore back might have kept him out of the greatest exhibition known to man.

Josh wants to get in on the ground floor for Kidd’s second tour of duty in Dallas, so he is playing at less than 100 percent, and it’s showing in the numbers you will see below. The bad news…Josh is the 205th ranked 8-cat player over the past four games. The good news…he’s averaging 16.5 shots per game on the season, but 18.8 shots in four games with Kidd. Once that back loosens up and the shots start falling again, those extra looks will come in handy.

Season stats: 19.9 points / 7.2 rebounds / 2.0 assists / 46% FG pct

Last four games: 14.5 points / 5.0 rebounds / 1.3 assists / 29% FG pct


So far, so good for J-Kidd in his return to Dallas, but will he push the Mavericks all the way to the NBA Finals? I’m hanging in there with my preseason pick for San Antonio to repeat, and here’s hoping the Mavs and Spurs lock horns at some point in the postseason. For now, we’ll have to “settle” for Thursday’s showdown in San Antonio, which doubles as the early game on TNT at 8 p.m. ET. Enjoy…

Link

[Dr.Zoidberg]

February 17, 2008
Jason Kidd Complements Dirk Nowitzki Better Than Steve Nash
by chuck yeager

With the new Jason Kidd to Dallas trade finally resurrected, and seemingly imminent, we can finally start analyzing the deal and try to predict how this new team will function. Many people seem to believe that Dirk and Kidd won't be able to get it done because Dirk and Nash were never able to. There are a couple errors in this thinking, though.

First of all, Dirk isn't the same player he was with Nash. Dirk hadn't reached his prime with Nash and Nash hadn't reached his prime with Dirk either. These guys were both late bloomers who are still developing even right now.

Case in point—Dirk just had his first triple-double a few days ago. With the poor shooters on the Mavs, that is especially impressive. Especially because he can't pass to himself.

But the most important thing that differentiates Kidd from Nash is that Kidd's game has the potential to complement Dirk much more than Nash's game ever did.

Nash was, and is, your prototypical point guard. Ideally you want to pair a player like Nash with a prototypical power forward or center.

I am sure this was Kerr's thinking in Phoenix as well—Nash and Shaq have the potential to complement each other as well as any tandem to ever play the game and could add a decade to each others careers.

But the problem with Nash and Dirk in Dallas is that Dirk is about as far from your prototypical post playing power forward as is imaginable.

Teams don't just put small defenders on Dirk in the playoffs to create mismatches all over the court for themselves defensively and to make Dirk a better post player, forcing them to double and triple him there.

They put small defenders on Dirk because he can take seven footers off the dribble at will.

Dirk plays the power forward position like a shooting guard —that's what makes him so special.

Then you have Jason Kidd, who is just as unique at his position. Unlike Nash, Kidd has the ability to post up most point guards.

This is what could make Dirk an entirely different player in the playoffs. Even though it's in an unusual package, Dirk finally has the kind of player he always needed—a post player that will finally take some pressure off him on the perimter and finally give the Mavs a post player other than himself.

And this should allow Dirk to actually play his game and be the leader he has always had the potential to be, because all through his career he never once had that kind of player.So now we have two unconventional superstars that could make each other better than they have ever been before.

The only question: Is Avery Johnson too conventional to coach them?

Link

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Notebook: Kidd’s style rubbing off

Art Garcia | Mavs.com
Posted: Feb. 27, 2008

Touch passes from Dirk Nowitzki? Okay, maybe that’s not too hard to believe. But Erick Dampier?

“It’s rubbing off,” Josh Howard surmised. “I’ve never seen it before.”

It is point guard Jason Kidd. More specifically, his willingness to share the ball in a creative and prolific manner. The Mavericks, in the span of about a week, have seemingly transformed into a pass-happy bunch that’s traded high tops for track shoes.

“Jason had brought tremendous energy, as well as the other guys,” Howard added. “If we can continue to keep that energy up and keep flying under the radar going into the playoffs, I think we’ll do great things.”

The numbers during the three-game winning streak going into San Antonio shouldn’t be seen as absolute – after all, it’s a sample of three games – but consider the trends. The Mavs averaged 25.7 assists and 20.7 fastbreak points in wins over Memphis, Minnesota and Chicago. Compare that to 19.9 and 12.8 in the 53 games before Kidd’s arrival.

That’s a 29 percent increase in assists and up a whopping 77 percent on the break. Again, it’s three games against three teams with losing records, but it’s also obvious to anyone watching those three games that a shift in style has occurred.

“He forces the issue especially in transition, and I love it,” Jerry Stackhouse said of Kidd. “I love getting out and running. And being able to get the defense on its heels and create some easy opportunities.

“And, as you can see, his passing becomes contagious. He makes good passes and the next guy is looking to make a nice pass. I think that’s where we are right now. We can get everybody on that same page, just sharing and moving the ball. It’s fun to watch and it’s fun to play.”

While halfcourt sets have remained the same – penetration, isolations, pick-and-rolls still rule the day – Dirk Nowitzki admitted that it almost seems as if they’re running a new offense when they run.

“On the fast break, definitely,” he said. “Guys are moving it, making a conscious effort to get everybody involved, not only Jason, but everybody is looking for the open man.”

Kidd admits he’s still in transition. He’s trying to get a feel for his teammates, as well as the team’s offensive and defensive sets. He huddles with assistant Joe Prunty during timeouts, while working overtime before and after practice. He’s studying film on the team plane with the rest of the coaches.

“Kidd is not a very good student,” coach Avery Johnson joked. “He thinks he can pass better than me, so he’s not a good student. I’m going to have to teach him. I’m going to have to scream at him more so he can get it.”

No screaming necessary. It looks like he’s got it. Just as certain team numbers are up during the winning streak, so are individual ones. Nowitzki is scoring 28.3 points on sizzling 65-percent shooting over the last three games. Jason Terry is at 17.7 points and 54 percent. Dampier has missed only three shots in three games (13 attempts) and averaging 10 boards.

“It doesn’t take long usually for good players to adjust to each other,” Nowitzki said. “With him, you just always got to know where the ball is.”

Howard, easily the one most athletically equipped to benefit from Kidd’s lobs to the rim, surprisingly is in a shooting slump. He’s connected on just 31 percent during the 3-0 spurt, but the lingering effects of a sore back could be playing a part. Kidd, on the other hand, isn’t hurting for options from his new band of running mates.

“We want to get out and run and get easy shots,” he said. “We’ve got so many guys that can get out. We’ve got JT, Josh, Dirk, Damp can run for us. For me, it’s like a kid in a candy store. There are five guys who can get the shot.”

Link

[LRB]

If Kidd could break Howard's shooting wrist, that would bring about a serious improvement. Somebody should tell Josh that if we wanted Antoine Walker on the court we would never have traded for him.

For me one of the biggest ways that Kidd helps the team get better is allowing JT to start without getting killed by having 2 small guards on the court. Kidd is more than capable of guarding the larger 2's in the league.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by Dr.Zoidberg

Howard added. “If we can continue to keep that energy up and keep flying under the radar going into the playoffs, I think we’ll do great things.”

Mystery solved - Josh is holding back by settling for jumpers to keep us "flying under the radar"...

[Mavfreak]

He makes good passes at opportune times and gives the players a sense of purpose.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Mystery solved - Josh is holding back by settling for jumpers to keep us "flying under the radar"...

Pretty interesting strategy...

[Kidd Karma]

During practices, Kidd will make bad passes to players and see how they react to them, this gives Kidd an idea of how much of a window he has to squeeze a pass in during games. If Dirk can't hit shots off passes at his knees, Kidd will make that mental note, if he can't, Kidd will still make the pass, but will attack the rim for a return pass from Dirk. These are the little things he will work on with each player individually.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

He makes really crappy big men better:

Jason Collins-not even qualified for D-league without Kidd
Mikki Moore-Big nobody before Kidd
Clifford Robinson- Managed to play on ventalators because of Kidd
Kenyon Martin-Ok, he isn't so crappy but was a lot better with Kidd
Josh Boone-Little game but hustle and Kidd made him a name
Eric Dampier- It's like Kidd put a western pistol to his feet and said, "dance boy, dance!"....and he is catching and passing....WHILE ON THE FAST-BREAK!!! (loud funk music)

And soon to come....Jamaal Magloire...

[BigD]

I wouldn't say he makes the players better around him. They just get better looks at the basket than before.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by BigD

I wouldn't say he makes the players better around him. They just get better looks at the basket than before.

Well essentially open looks would increase your shooting percentage....which essentially...makes you better.

Conclusion: Quit the bit. I've never seen someone play devil's advocate so ridiculously with a team they supposedly root for. If you don't think Kidd makes other players around him better then you simply don't watch NBA basketball. Please stop responding to my posts if you can't have a semi-logical conversation about it.

[LRB]

Originally Posted by BigD

I wouldn't say he makes the players better around him. They just get better looks at the basket than before.

That is a statements which is logically indefensible. Sort of like saying that a Microwave doesn't cook food it just imparts energy to food that is placed inside of it when it is turned on.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Gilbert Arenas thoughts about the Kidd trade:

Feb 26, 2008
Posted by: Gilbert Arenas

...

DAL-NJN: Dallas got pretty good. They got one of the best point guards since John Stockton exited the league. You can't say "since Magic" because John Stockton was after Magic. Since 2002 when John Stockton left, Jason Kidd has been the best point guard in the league. Steve Nash has really only come onto the scene strong in the last three years.

New Jersey got a young point guard out of the deal, but is he going to beat out Marcus Williams over there? They didn't get trash back, they got a couple pieces who can compete in the East. They got a decent return though.

For Dallas, I think it gives them a leader. I know people will get mad and say, "Dirk's already the leader, he's the MVP," but it's hard to be the leader when you're the four man. Let's be honest. Was Karl Malone the leader of the Utah Jazz? No. Was Charles Barkley the leader of the Suns or was he just the vocal leader? Was Kevin Johnson running the team at the time? You can say Hakeem was the leader on the Rockets, but you still had Sam Cassell, Kenny Smith and Mario Elie at the time. The guy who dominates handling the ball is the natural leader, no matter what else you have on your team. So Dallas got a floor general. They got somebody who can mimic what Avery Johnson wants out there. I think if they had to make a move without losing any major pieces, that was the best move they could make.

Link

[Kidd Karma]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

He makes really crappy big men better:

Jason Collins-not even qualified for D-league without Kidd
Mikki Moore-Big nobody before Kidd
Clifford Robinson- Managed to play on ventalators because of Kidd
Kenyon Martin-Ok, he isn't so crappy but was a lot better with Kidd
Josh Boone-Little game but hustle and Kidd made him a name
Eric Dampier- It's like Kidd put a western pistol to his feet and said, "dance boy, dance!"....and he is catching and passing....WHILE ON THE FAST-BREAK!!! (loud funk music)

And soon to come....Jamaal Magloire...

Hahaha, nice list, lets see Collins, Moore, KMart all parlayed their stints with Kidd into nice long term contracts.

[dude1394]

http://yankeesnmore.blogspot.com/200...nce-maker.html

Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Kidd Already Proving a Difference Maker!

Jason Kidd has been with the Dallas Mavericks for one week. The Mavericks are 3-1 in that time, and watching the games is about all it takes to recognize what an important piece Kidd has been… at least that's all it takes for most people (more on this later).

Even in the loss, which came on the road against the then-Western-Conference-leading New Orleans Hornets, there was evidence of the difference Jason Kidd makes for this team.

Forget the handful of spectacular passes Kidd made. The most significant difference, at least from this perspective, were the two passes made into the low block to center Erick Dampier. No longer does Dampier have to get open and stay open while fighting for position to get the ball.

Twice Kidd put the ball right on Dampier’s hand at THE moment the big man got position on his defender. Those two passes turned into two point-blank shots for Dampier, who made one of the two. The tosses to Dampier looked something akin to a quarterback letting go with a pass a moment before his receiver breaks and turns into its path.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by Dr.Zoidberg

Gilbert Arenas thoughts about the Kidd trade:

Arenas is pretty smart. Tough for a 4 to be that type of leader.

For Dallas, I think it gives them a leader. I know people will get mad and say, "Dirk's already the leader, he's the MVP," but it's hard to be the leader when you're the four man. Let's be honest. Was Karl Malone the leader of the Utah Jazz? No. Was Charles Barkley the leader of the Suns or was he just the vocal leader? Was Kevin Johnson running the team at the time? You can say Hakeem was the leader on the Rockets, but you still had Sam Cassell, Kenny Smith and Mario Elie at the time. The guy who dominates handling the ball is the natural leader, no matter what else you have on your team. So Dallas got a floor general. They got somebody who can mimic what Avery Johnson wants out there. I think if they had to make a move without losing any major pieces, that was the best move they could make.

Link

[foglemann]

I love Gilbert. He's got to be the best personality in sports today. Would love to have him.

And he makes a pretty good argument for Dirk. Although KG might want to argue that 4 argument.