‘DIRKIDD’! OR IS IT ‘KIDDIRK’? - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

monty55555 · 02-25-2008, 01:16 AM

Its a pretty nice read. If its been posted elsewhere, I apologize.

Quote:

Dirk Nowitzki has never been a squeaky wheel. He did not orchestrade the trade, he did not demand a change, he did not act as an “assistant GM.’’ Now, a few weeks ago, DB.com did hear through the grapevine that The UberMan was concerned about the lethargy in his locker room. So, even though it meant the departure from Dallas of two of his buddies, Dirk endorsed the pursuit of Jason Kidd. And over the weekend, as the power couple of “Kiddirk’’ (“Dirkidd’’?) recorded another road win, we saw why.

In Memphis on Friday (a 98-83 win) and in Minnesota on Sunday (99-83) Dirk was the perfect scorer. Kidd was the perfect passer.

And the potential power of “Kiddirk’’ – the power predicted by both of them -- was obvious.

About those predictions. ...

Going into the weekend, Nowitzki had noted that Kidd “gives me passes that I could only dream about. … “With me playing for Nash for so many years, some of the passes you just took for granted. Over the last couple years, those looks just weren’t there. It’s going to be great to get the ball when you’re open in the right situation. … (Kidd) gives me passes that I could only dream about.’’

All of that isn’t a jab at previous PGs Jason Terry and new Net Devin Harris (who is a Dirk pal); it’s simply a fact that Dirk has had to work hard to get shots ever since Steve Nash jumped to Phoenix.

Dreamy passes? In Memphis, Kidd executed enough of them to notch 15 assists, a Mavs season-high. In Minnesota, he recorded 10 of them in the first half alone, and finished with 17. Obviously, another Mavs season-high.

Simply put: Dallas has, with one transaction, morphed from a poor passing team to a “dreamy’’ one.

Going into the weekend, Nowitzki had noted that Kidd will allow the Mavs to run in an organized fast-break style. Under Avery Johnson, Dirk has been asked to develop a post-up game, to be more Duncan-like. That approach has worked, to some degree, and will come in handy. But, as Dirk said, “I actually like the fast-paced game better.’’

A fast-paced game? In three straight outings now, Dallas has been the superior team on the run and in the break. All year long, putting together consecutive games in which the Mavs topped the opponent in those categories was rare. Now, it’s to be expected.

Simply put: It’s very difficult for opposing big men to run the way Dirk runs. And, you know, it’s impossible to double-team Nowitzki when he’s filling the lane on the break. The pace around here is one of the reasons Dirk scored 29 against the T'wolves and 27 against the Grizzlies. And why was shot 18-of-24 in the two games. And why he was 3-of-4 from the arc.

Going into the weekend, Nowitzki had noted that this year’s team lacked the ability to close out games. “Last year, down the stretch, we just knew we were going to get that stop, that we were going to get that score to win those close games. For some reason or another, we didn’t have that this year. … We didn’t find ways to win.’’

Finding ways to win? Consider just the Minnesota game: At the end of the first quarter, Kidd hustled the ball up the floor and nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. With three seconds left in the second quarter, Kidd found Josh Howard in the lane. J-Ho made the shot and was fouled. He missed the free throw, but Dirk snuck inside for the offensive rebound and the tip-in to tie the game 48-all. In the span of two seconds of play, Kidd reached 10 assists, Howard scored an important bucket, and Dirk reached 14 points. And what was a "close game'' was determined when the Mavs -- allowing just 83 points in each of these two wins -- limited Minnesota to just 12 in the final quarter.

Simply put: “Kiddirk’’ just finished a weekend during which it looked dreamy, did it fast, and did it winningly.

http://www.dallasbasketball.com/fullColumn.php?id=295

Flacolaco · 02-25-2008, 01:18 AM

Remember, if you pay $7.95 a year for a domain name and a blog, your opinions are suddenly thread worthy.

Movie Phone · 02-25-2008, 01:23 AM

hahaha that was classic.

FINtastic · 02-25-2008, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Finding ways to win? Consider just the Minnesota game: At the end of the first quarter, Kidd hustled the ball up the floor and nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. With three seconds left in the second quarter, Kidd found Josh Howard in the lane. J-Ho made the shot and was fouled. He missed the free throw, but Dirk snuck inside for the offensive rebound and the tip-in to tie the game 48-all. In the span of two seconds of play, Kidd reached 10 assists, Howard scored an important bucket, and Dirk reached 14 points. And what was a "close game'' was determined when the Mavs -- allowing just 83 points in each of these two wins -- limited Minnesota to just 12 in the final quarter.

This is what I found most encouraging about tonight. When the Mavs were at their best the last two years, they were imposing their will on the other team down the stretch. What happened tonight? They imposed their will down the stretch.

fluid.forty.one · 02-25-2008, 01:36 AM

Dirkidd

it's still dirk's team

ty · 02-25-2008, 01:50 AM

KIDDIRK. Because Kidd starts and Dirk finishes that sh*t.

bernardos70 · 02-25-2008, 02:10 AM

lol, makes a lot of sense. KIDDIRK it is.

MavsX · 02-25-2008, 08:19 AM

ha

jthig32 · 02-25-2008, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

Remember, if you pay $7.95 a year for a domain name and a blog, your opinions are suddenly thread worthy.

Dude, it's a blog with good info.

What's with the hate?

dude1394 · 02-25-2008, 10:13 AM

It's more than that, it's a blog with access that most bloggers do NOT have. I think that "blog" is great. It has as much if not more access and content than the two papers do.

Flip41 · 02-25-2008, 01:12 PM

I didn't think that this was worthy of a new thread, but there is some bulletin board material for our Mavs. Most of this article is mindless old beat the dead horse stuff, but Black Jesus's quotes are note worthy. I think I like that this team is the underdog this year. It seems that most teams play better with that mindset.

Nash too nice to say it, but he told you so
Previous Columns
Jennifer Floyd Engel

PHOENIX -- Just in case anybody cares what Suns forward Amaré Stoudemire thinks of the recently jury-rigged Mavs, he shared his thoughts Sunday.

Consider him nonplussed.

"We're not concerned about Dallas at all," Stoudemire said.

About what the Mavs think? Or them as a team?

"Both," he said.

His quick and brutal dismissal of the Mavs admittedly shocked me silent, and I fumbled for a proper, what we like to call in journalism, follow-up question. What came out was something about the Mavs being one of the best teams in West the last couple of seasons.

"Yes," he said. "But this year is a totally different year..."

What was left unsaid after his pause said everything. This does not look like that Mavs team to the Suns, and, as a result, Phoenix views LA and San Antonio -- and possibly even New Orleans -- as bigger hurdles to a championship. And trading for Kidd seems to have done little to change that view.

The Suns' reaction to J-Kidd generally fell under two categories: yawns and knowing nods.

The yawns are self-explanatory, based on a belief the Lakers became the team to beat by adding Pau Gasol in what counts as a trade only because the NBA frowns upon gifting players. How the Lakers have been playing says this is pretty sound logic. Of course, the Suns believe they have a team capable of beating Kobe and Co.

San Antonio, too.

And if prodded, a few guys mention Dallas. If prodded.

The knowing nods were the byproduct of what has been a long wait in Sunsland. Finally, almost four years later, Mavs types admitted waving buh-bye to Steve Nash was a colossal mistake.

In terms of mea culpas, trading for J-Kidd was a doozy.

Giving up on Devin Harris and bringing in J-Kidd felt pretty darn close to a reactionary Mark Cuban blog screaming, "We screwed up big-time by choosing not to resign Nash for however much and however long he wanted."

They counted on Nash to break down. They counted wrong. And, four years later, J-Kidd is as close as they have come to saying so.

Nash, for his part, lacks an "I told you so" reflex. He's happy in Phoenix, feels wanted, his best basketball has come in a Suns uniform, and he has two MVPs for proof and believes this might be the Suns' year to finally break through and win a ring. So what the Mavs might or might not admit with regard to him matters little.

"I know they feel that way. It is not like I didn't know it," Nash said. "I knew after the first year they regretted it."

This became painfully obvious after MVP1. And MVP2 was just showing off. If Nash and Stoudemire and Shaq win a championship, well, that would be downright cruel.

The crowd around Nash had dissipated. He was by himself and was looking forward to being anywhere but at US Airways Center. It was an ugly day for Nash and his Suns, losing by 30. To Detroit. At home. With a national TV audience watching.

"Today is a bad day to talk about [the past], but we definitely feel we can improve a lot and have a very successful run with this team," Nash said. "As for 'I told you so,' I think that is for everybody else to say."

I told you so.

Except it rings somewhat hollow, being as I was kind-of, sort-of on board with Cuban's logic. I hated giving up Nash, especially for nothing, yet I did not argue with Cuban too much. All of that money and a six-year contract for an older guard was a risk, especially because, in Cuban's words, Nash seemed destined to break down.

Cuban's blog post from way back when, "Steve Nash, Part I", can be easily Googled, and explanations on why he decided to pass on Nash seem hollow. Especially in light of Kidd.

"Our feeling was that we were fortunate that Steve had been so injury-free. That it was only a matter of time before his style of play caught up with him."

Any day now, right?

And since Nash is too nice to say "I told you so," I'll let Suns forward Grant Hill explain why this has to go down as one of the dumbest personnel decisions in local sports history.

"If anything, when he left, he put together his best body of work," he said. "And, if he's breaking down, well, wow, he's been great anyway. He looks like he's 25."

Nash had a couple of moments Sunday when he unleashed his scary-good stuff, splitting double teams, finding open guys, making everybody around him better. And all of this in what has to qualify as a bad game for him.

Hill, an Eastern Conference refugee like J-Kidd and thereby familiar with his game, says Kidd still has that ability to dominate a game and will do wonders for Dirk.

So why is Stoudemire unconcerned with the Mavs?

The reasoning is the Mavs match up well everywhere, with everybody, except the big guys -- Shaq, Bynum, Duncan, et al. Of course, I read in this newspaper not too long ago that Shaq was too old and too slow to make a big difference.

He actually set the Suns back, or so went the logic.

That kind of logic is what started the verbal fireworks with Stoudemire, who obviously begged to differ. So much so that he dismissed not simply the thinking but the entire Mavs team.

"Jason Kidd and Shaq are about the same age," he said by way of a parting shot.

At least, he didn't slap us with what we already knew: That J-Kidd is a poor salve for the Nash mistake.

sike · 02-25-2008, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flip41

"We're not concerned about Dallas at all," Stoudemire said.

Yeah...bc PHX has looked great thus far...

don't look now, kids, but the Suns aren't able to run like they used to....

sike · 02-25-2008, 01:29 PM

how about "Didd" as is...did you see what "Didd" just did?!!!

I'll stick with Kidd to Dirk, if you guys don't mind.

rmacomic · 02-25-2008, 02:04 PM

I'm pretty sure right now Steve Kerr is walking around like Gob Bluth saying, "I've made a huge mistake." I am completly unconcerned with what the Suns think of the Mavs, they have a lot more to worry about with thier own team.

sike · 02-25-2008, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmacomic

I'm pretty sure right now Steve Kerr is walking around like Gob Bluth saying, "I've made a huge mistake." I am completly unconcerned with what the Suns think of the Mavs, they have a lot more to worry about with thier own team.

I'm very interested in see if the Suns can hold onto a top 4 spot i the West without Marion as Nash's little running buddy

DevinHarriswillstart · 02-25-2008, 02:30 PM

You all know this was written by Jennifer Engel right?

sike · 02-25-2008, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

You all know this was written by Jennifer Engel right?

who cares if it was written by a shabby writer? I still believe Amare said that junk.

muzak · 02-25-2008, 02:39 PM

That kind of talk, to me, comes off as insecure about his own situations.

sike · 02-25-2008, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by muzak

That kind of talk, to me, comes off as insecure about his own situations.

could be...

Flip41 · 02-25-2008, 02:42 PM

That's right sike, quotes are quotes. I really dislike Amare. I hope that team drowns themselves with all their giant egos.

Does anyone think that Kidd can play until he is 40? I do.

jthig32 · 02-25-2008, 02:43 PM

If I were Amare, I wouldn't be concerned with the Mavs either. I'd be concerned with Golden State, Denver and maybe Houston, in trying to make sure Phoenix doesn't slide right out of the playoffs.

sike · 02-25-2008, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jthig32

If I were Amare, I wouldn't be concerned with the Mavs either. I'd be concerned with Golden State, Denver and maybe Houston, in trying to make sure Phoenix doesn't slide right out of the playoffs.

nice...

DevinHarriswillstart · 02-25-2008, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jthig32

If I were Amare, I wouldn't be concerned with the Mavs either. I'd be concerned with Golden State, Denver and maybe Houston, in trying to make sure Phoenix doesn't slide right out of the playoffs.

Well frankly all three of those teams play Phoenix's style so even if Phoenix finishes with a high seed, the Suns might have to play one of them in the playoffs anyway.

Dirkenstien · 02-25-2008, 02:55 PM

Yeah Amare is so rediculously arrogant it's unbelievable.

But yeah, the Mavs are definitely flying under the radar with the Kidd move and I actually kind of like it! There's less pressure and I feel like a Samurai Ninja stealthing my way through the night before slitting that lumbering giant's throat.

sike · 02-25-2008, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirkenstien

i love this pic

dirno2000 · 02-25-2008, 03:17 PM

We are in a curious position. We just added a perineal all-star starter to a team with the reigning MVP coming off of two 60 win season and there is nobody (media or fans) who thinks we can come out of the West.We are in a curious position. We just added a perennial all-star starter to a team with the reigning MVP coming off of two 60 win season and there is nobody (media or fans) who thinks we have a chance to come out of the West.

Avery needs to squeeze all the juice he can out of statements like this. Nothing galvanizes a team like the “us against the world” card.

jthig32 · 02-25-2008, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirno2000

We are in a curious position. We just added a perineal all-star starter to a team with the reigning MVP coming off of two 60 win season and there is nobody (media or fans) who thinks we can come out of the West.We are in a curious position. We just added a perennial all-star starter to a team with the reigning MVP coming off of two 60 win season and there is nobody (media or fans) who thinks we have a chance to come out of the West.

Avery needs to squeeze all the juice he can out of statements like this. Nothing galvanizes a team like the “us against the world” card.

It was such a good point, say it just one more time for me.

darki · 02-25-2008, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmacomic

I'm pretty sure right now Steve Kerr is walking around like Gob Bluth saying, "I've made a huge mistake." I am completly unconcerned with what the Suns think of the Mavs, they have a lot more to worry about with thier own team.

thats it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghl_6Hf8yuw

all u need to know about the suns

sike · 02-25-2008, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jthig32

It was such a good point, say it just one more time for me.

made me smile, too

sike · 02-25-2008, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darki

thats it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghl_6Hf8yuw

all u need to know about the suns

that is the funniest thing I've seen in a while...

jthig32 · 02-25-2008, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darki

thats it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghl_6Hf8yuw

all u need to know about the suns

Bravo sir, bravo. I predict you have a second green box in no time.

Flip41 · 02-25-2008, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darki

thats it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghl_6Hf8yuw

all u need to know about the suns

Awesome

sike · 02-25-2008, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jthig32

Bravo sir, bravo. I predict you have a second green box in no time.

just gave it to him...

MavsX · 02-25-2008, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darki

thats it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghl_6Hf8yuw

all u need to know about the suns

LOL

phx where nothing happens.

hahaahaaa

the suit purchase..is hilarious!

BGMaverick9 · 02-25-2008, 03:45 PM

Major rep to you, darki. That video was so hilarious!

Tokey41 · 02-25-2008, 04:26 PM

It's almost like Dirk doesn't have to work for his shots anymore... kind of like when Nash was here except now he's had a few years without those easy looks and a strong #2 option and his game has expanded tremendously because of it. Now that he's in his prime maximizing his talents this trade isn't AS bad as everyone in the media claims. I'm not overly worried about his game expanding anymore (although more post moves, any post moves, would be nice).

Anyway, this is kind of both their team now... but to me it will always be more Dirks team.

BGMaverick9 · 02-25-2008, 04:34 PM

Think about it: For Dirk, how lucky has he been to have two of the greatest PGs at his disposal? I hope he maxes out the potential with Kidd.

GermanBlitzkrieg · 02-25-2008, 04:48 PM

Nash wasn't as good with us as he has been with the Suns. Right now, Kidd's game still looks very strong. I'm hyped now! Just hope they can find a back up center... but they should be tough, as they are.

sike · 02-25-2008, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BGMaverick9

Think about it: For Dirk, how lucky has he been to have two of the greatest PGs at his disposal? I hope he maxes out the potential with Kidd.

Dirk now is more prepared to make the most of a top tier pg than young Dirk was...

Dirk of 5 years ago was soft and immature...the Dirk that Kidd has now joined up with is a tough minded veteran who knows the bitter taste of defeat and it will drive him to stop at nothing until he takes hold of the highest prize!

Kidd Karma · 02-25-2008, 05:21 PM

Confusing as hell, but when Dallas is the last team standing come June, it don't matter.