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Kidd On Point?

by Ben Kopelman on April 10th, 2009 at 10:19 am

In discussing the lack-luster second-half play of Chris Duhon, Newsday ‘s Alahn Hahn puts forth the notion that the Knicks may look to soon-to-be FA Jason Kidd for help at the position going into next year:

“…with Mavericks guard Jason Kidd heading into free agency this summer and very interested in coming back to the New York area, the Knicks will consider that option, as well.

“Kidd, 36, is on the decline, but he is still one of the NBA’s most prolific passers. On Sunday, he had 20 assists in the blowout win over the Suns and he ranks fifth in the NBA with 8.6 assists per game. Though his defense is weak and his outside shooting is a problem, Kidd possesses the veteran leadership the Knicks lack. Plus, he could attract other top players who would want to play with him.”

The Knicks have Chris Duhon under contract through the 2009-10 season as well, as he finishes out the second year of last summer’s two-year, $11.5 million deal.

I know that playing with Jason Kidd used to be a draw for superstars in the league (as recently as last year’s trade deadline, Lebron was seen publicly clamoring for him before he was shipped off to Dallas) but I really don’t see him as an answer to the Knicks’ back-court woes.

Would he be an upgrade over Duhon in 2009? Probably. Mmm…definitely.

But going after Kidd isn’t something I would actively cheer for. It’s not his liability from the outside or on the defensive end so much — as I’d be thrilled with an aging Steve Nash a year from now or via a trade this summer and he can’t play a lick of defense either — as much as what he would do for the team 2 years from now.

My hang-up with Kidd is how old he looks when he plays these days.  His assist avergae is hard to ignore, but having watched a half dozen Mavs games this year, Kidd looks a step slow and I see that number dropping drastically over the next two seasons.

Signing him would feel like a “too little, too late” kind of deal, and I fear it would cause more harm than good in the long term, while for some reason, signing the same soon-to-be-40 Nash makes me giddy.

What are your feelings on the Knicks pursuing Kidd this summer?

Who would you prefer?


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  • da0213

    Not so sure about Kidd’s leadership qualities. Sure, he’s a born leader on teams that are good, but look at how his relationship with Jersey soured when the ship started to go down.

  • Chris Alvino

    Agreed. Kidd is probably better at this point, but Nash has a history with D’Antoni. Nash and D’Antoni will always be a pair in my mind. Kidd ended his last stay in the NY area negatively.

    Nash.

  • KBT1615

    I have to say Nash to, both are bad on defense, so it comes down to shooting, Leadership, and Passing and I think all of our younger players will get behind him once they watch how he sets them up better than Duhon. And we all know who shoots better.

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