I have been following the career of Jason Kidd since he was just a rookie in Dallas. This rookie sensation garnered rookie of the year and triple doubles with more than 50+ wins for this franchise. He was dealt with to Phoenix and New Jersey. He led the Nets to the Finals twice only to be clobbered by huge talents like Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’ Neal. Now back with Dallas, he hopes for a better chance in winning a ring. Again, he is disappointed. The veteran with such talent and passion for the game is now out of the playoffs. What can he do? What should the team or owner do?
Here are some of my options/opinions that would help the Mavs (and of course my current main man, Jason Kidd) come back as a legit contender. Not in this particular order:
- Get a solid big man that can defend. – Reason? Plain and simple. You got Shaq back in the West (yes they are out as well but you got Howard in the East so gotta be prepared for that), Tim Duncan, Andrew Bynum (imagine Gasol and him in a front court), Boozer and David West (who keeps making those 15 footers with ease and yet have some post moves). List goes on.
- More plays – Dirk on top just didn’t do it. No plays were called by the point. One on one plays don’t win games. Is it the Coach’s fault?
- Defense – The Mavs in their last final playoff game made a few air balls and bricks, they still got close in the last few minutes. If they had defended well would the outcome differ?
- Offense – Yes there are plenty in Dallas. You have Dirk, Josh (yes the distractions are there, he needs to be committed if he wants to be with Dallas), Stack, Terry and George. Kidd would need to step up next time just to spread the defense. He needs to be more consistent. Bird didn’t become a shooter overnight. Maybe a hundred shots before games would help. You get everything from Jason anyways.
- Playing time – Why get Jamal Magloire and Juwan Howard if you won’t utilize them? My point being, get a big man who can defend or can be an option in scoring.
If you look at it, Dallas is a pretty good team considering its line-up. You can see them playing one-on-one on offense, scattered in defense. This team needs focus and motivation (think in the lines of Gregg Popovich and Zen Master Phil Jackson). A leader that will step-up and show his character on and off the court (like the legends MJ, Magic & Bird did in the old days). All in all, this team needs a miracle to have a major turn-around. The talent is there, it all boils down to direction.
This is my first time to write a blog because of my frustration on how they showed up in the Playoffs. Hopefully things will change soon. I’m sure JK would love that. Just my two cents.
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