Mavericks Add Jason Kidd, Spurs Fans Rejoice

by sungo on Feb 19, 2008 5:08 PM CST

I follow the Spurs and have missed only a handful of games since the beginning of 04-05 season. I know the strengths as weaknesses of the team as a whole. I know what type and which specific defenders give our individual players trouble.

Maybe the acquisition of Jason Kidd helps the Mavericks as a whole. Maybe the Mavericks were getting overpowered by larger point guards or needed help on the glass. Maybe they needed a guy to brick wide open jumpers. I don't know. I don't follow the Mavs.

But I follow the Spurs and can say unequivocally and without a doubt that the Mavericks no longer have a shot to beat the Spurs in the playoffs. Allow me to quote the esteemed Michael Erler:

The fourth got hairy and the Mavs started to slowly chip their way into it here and there. Why you ask? Well the main culprit, I hate to say it, was Tony Parker. Sorry, there's just no way to sugarcoat it. He just sucks against these guys. Devin Harris is in his head. Tony has been passing it so well and been so smart taking care of the ball all year, but against these guys he keeps looking like a rookie, going one-on-five, letting Dallas' defense bait him into mistakes and stupid shots time and again.

Mr. Erler is absolutely right. Parker's poor play against the Mavs has been almost entirely due to the defense of Devin Harris. He guards Tony better than any other player in the NBA and it's not really close. He draws charges, he squeezes around screens and he takes it right back at Tony on offense.

Now the Mavericks have traded Tony Parker's kryptonite for Jason Kidd. His defensive strengths are his ability to defend bigger guards and his rebounding proficiency. Neither of these things will help him stay in front of Tony Parker, something he has no hope in doing. The Mavs may have bettered their chances against the likes of the Lakers and the Suns, but they better hope they don't face the Spurs in the playoffs.

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Re: Mavericks Add Jason Kidd, Spurs Fans Rejoice

I actually wrote this right after news of the first Kidd trade (the Devean George one) broke, but waited until everything was official before posting. Stampler's take is funnier (and includes the very salient point about Diop); mine is meant to grab GoogleNews links.

by sungo on Feb 19, 2008 5:12 PM CST reply actions

Re: Mavericks Add Jason Kidd, Spurs Fans Rejoice

I feel the same way about this deal you do. The Mavericks were better off with Devin Harris, and this deal all but assures that Dallas won't win a championship in the foreseeable future.

Third Quarter Collapse: An SB Nation Blog for Orlando Magic Fans

by Evan Dunlap on Feb 19, 2008 5:15 PM CST reply actions

Re: Mavericks Add Jason Kidd, Spurs Fans Rejoice

I have to assume that Dallas knows that Harris shut down Parker. It was fairly obvious.

So the question then, is does Dallas consider the Spurs the main threat anymore? You said yourself that they may have bettered their chances against the Lakers and Suns - perhaps they consider those teams the biggest threat now in light of their trades. Of course, if that is the case, then they are overlooking the Spurs.

So either they don't take the Spurs seriously anymore or they made a dumb trade (or both). Either way, as a Spurs fan there is no way not to be happy about this trade.

by skeetthrower on Feb 19, 2008 10:08 PM CST reply actions

Re: Mavericks Add Jason Kidd, Spurs Fans Rejoice

the mavs were concerned that they would never get a chance to play the spurs if they didn't make the trade. as it stands now, spurs would have to beat utah in the first round (yes, the spurs would have hca), the winner of denver/new orleans in the second (not a given that 1 beats 8), and then face the winner of mavs/lakers/houston/suns bracket.

actually, the mavs are positively not going to beat two of those teams so it does not matter.

by dmcnulla on Feb 19, 2008 10:49 PM CST reply actions

Pure lunacy

Owner Frankenstein has officially lost his mind. Dallas will be lucky to win a playoff series this season.

"Any time you see someone more successful than you are, they are doing something you aren't." - Malcolm X

by John E Sanford on Feb 19, 2008 11:19 PM CST reply actions

Re: Mavericks Add Jason Kidd, Spurs Fans Rejoice

This post seems to have annoyed Mavs fans a little bit. Which amuses me for some reason.

by Jeffrey on Feb 20, 2008 7:13 AM CST reply actions

Re: Mavericks Add Jason Kidd, Spurs Fans Rejoice

pwned.

by efantich on Feb 20, 2008 9:10 AM CST up reply actions

Re: Mavericks Add Jason Kidd, Spurs Fans Rejoice

as far as the mavs go, it is really strange that they would trade out devin harris like that. he was the guy that ate up SA, but surely they dont just sit around and contemplate ways to beat the spurs anymore....do they?

saw the bit of cubes blog that was talking about how it would recharge the organization in terms of other off-court matters (like making a splash and merdchandising, etc). WOW. making a trade based on those kinds of factors is exactly why an organization does not win a title - or very many play-off series.

i will say this: as dumb as it looks on paper, don't count it out just yet. i feel like somehow having jason kidd can help a team out - but dont ask me to rationalize it or explain it. i dont get it either (in my spur-centric mind on these things).

could say the same for the shaq deal in phoenix -but one thing nobody is talking about: how does our boy mike d handle that one? did anyone see him talking at the press conference announcing shaq? he basically said that he though the phoenix squad was ready to win a title as-is and how they would try to fit the big fella in to make it all work.....even better. you could almost see the disgust in his face and hear it in his voice. and we all know how well mike d masks his emotions....anyway, i guess we will begin to look at these big bad trades tonite, eh?

true that the gasol thing is scary - particularly considering how quick LA went from losing kobe to a legitimate contender in the west. seems like they need one more piece (like a PG) to do it all, but when you have kobe many, many things are possible. wonder how his finger injury might foil this if he cant play with it for some reason (surely he'll be fine, i gotta think).

by bones on Feb 20, 2008 4:24 PM CST reply actions

Gasol+Bynum+Odom >= Shaq

phfst... they don't need a point guard in LA. As much as I hate Kobe, it's kinda hard to ignore the fact that he's got one of the best frontcourts backing him up. Three large, long, mobile, and talented bigs can clean up a LOT of mistakes by the backcourt, and Kobe makes more than his fair share. The difference is that during the championship years, he had teammates who were good/smart enough to know when he was overstepping and they'd rotate well to cover Kobe's ass. He didn't have that kind of insurance the past couple of seasons.

Maybe he couldn't coexist with a single dominant big, but I'll bet that Kobe's ego is fine with the three above-average bigs.

chaos... panic... pandemonium... my work here is done.

by rick2g on Feb 21, 2008 3:14 PM CST up reply actions