The Jason Kidd deal is now complete and official, meaning the Mavericks gave up a lot of talent base to get a specific piece. Observations:
Watching a little of the all-star game, I realized I had forgotten what a wonderful player Kidd is - “he makes his teammates better,” has become a cliche, but Kidd is one of those very rare guys who knows exactly how to deliver the ball, not just where but when, and is able to do it over and over and over. When TNT went to their studio crew at halftime Sunday, the first comment, from Charles Barkley, was what many who’ve played hoops were thinking, “How much fun would it be to play with Jason Kidd?”
The Mavericks are about to find out. And he’ll bring at least as much to them defensively. Can’t understand why some in the media are so blah about this deal. There aren’t many spots in the league more perfectly suited to benefit from what Kidd has to offer…
The moves made by NBA Western Conference clubs in the past few weeks - Kidd to Dallas, Pau Gasol to the Lakers, Shaq to Phoenix and, yes, Kyle Korver to Utah - are the kind of thing that used to never happen in the NBA. League GMs seem to be figuring out ways to deal with the salary cap, have become more willing to take chances, and understand the value of chemistry and the proper mix of players.
It’s like the Western half of the NBA has become the American League East, except that there are a half-dozen equivalents of the Yankees and Red Sox. Three reasons why this is different than baseball: 1. The salary cap makes winning financially viable for everyone in the NBA; 2. Chemistry is huge in hoops, and virtually a non-factor in baseball (Think the Mets worry about whether Johan Santana can meld with his new teammates?); 3. You can steal a World Series without being one of the best 3-4 teams (witness the 2006 Cardinals). That just can’t happen in the NBA…
Speaking of Santana, his addition has moved usually-stoic Carlos Beltran to declare the Mets “the team to beat,” in the NL East, in an obvious nod to Jimmy Rollins’ boast of a year ago.
Phillies fans and media no doubt consider this uppity, but the truth is the Mets went to the last day of last season with a chance to win it last year even after a spectacular collapse, and they’ve added the best pitcher on the planet. Beltran saying it now makes much more sense that Rollins saying it then.
Which doesn’t mean it makes that much sense. I always love it when baseball people say stuff like, “hitting comes and goes, but pitching and defense are the constants that win championship.”
Problem: The most volatile, erratic, and unpredictable element in team sports, by far, is pitching in baseball. I guarantee that a pitcher we’ve never heard of will be a factor (re: Kyle Kendrick) in the NL East race, and no one can guarantee you Santana will be. He’s thrown 912 innings in the last four years. He’s had elbow surgery. I’m not saying it wasn’t a great move getting him. It was. But still…
