Dallas Made A Big Mistake!
November 18th 2008 07:46
We all remember that Jason Kidd trade made by the Dallas Mavericks and the New Jersey Nets. If we are not mistaken, that deal was done for the primary reason that the Mavs are making that one big move to finally win it all and the Nets are letting go of a player that is in discontent.
Fast forward to the future, we have Kidd scratching his head on the way out of the floor. He was wondering how on earth him and the Mavs ended up reeling to five straight losses. On the other hand here we have Devin Harris, the young talent that the Mavs gave up on last season, blasting away against the Atlanta Hawks with back-to-back 30 points plus games in back-to-back wins!
So how are we supposed to assess the results of that particular player transaction for both teams? Had the Mavericks came as close to what they were a couple of seasons ago? Did they become better as a team with Kidd now in tow?
Taking a good look back to last year's playoffs when Dallas squared off with Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets, it wasn't so special with the younger and more intense Hornets dominating the Mavs. Paul dominated Kidd in their match-up and Dallas' aspiration for a title run ended that time right in the first round.
This season, things are looking unusually bad for the once dominant Mavericks. Dallas had just snapped a 5-game losing streak and are currently at 3-7 tied with the Memphis Grizzlies being dead last in their division.
Devin Harris and the Nets are also currently last in their division as well sporting a 4-5 record. New Jersey is in their new rebuilding plan and whatever the performance that they will come out with this year will be understandable. There is no pressure on the Nets whatsoever compared to what the Mavericks are burdened with which is to justify that Kidd's arrival will win them a championship.
At the rate things are developing, we are seeing a Dallas Mavericks team that is slowly fading because of improved competition. At the same time, their roster wasn't upgraded just as much as the other teams who made great strides to improve their chances this season. The Mavs looked practically the same as they were in the last playoffs even with the way they played, they looked more like expiring goods than a team with championship ambitions.
Why is this happening to the Mavs? It's because they were so much in a hurry. Their historic first-round playoff upset loss to Baron Davis and the Golden State Warriors two seasons ago triggered the Dallas front's erratic planning and mid-season maneuvering. Proven veteran point guard Kidd came in as they gave up their supposed-to-be future point guard Harris. And after bowing out of the playoffs in the first round yet again last season, Avery Johnson got the axe.
One big mistake leads to another. We at NBA Loud.com were no big fans of that trade because we find it so ridiculous and hasty on the part of the Mavericks.
Trading for Kidd only showed how desperate the Mavs bosses are to win a championship as soon as possible. Thinking that a veteran like Kidd is the answer to their problems proved to be a wrong move. Dallas was looking for an immediate and dramatic positive impact and here they got a short term and unassuring performance from Kidd and the rest of the Mavs. Patience was thrown out of the window when Dallas was taken out in the first round of the playoffs for two straight years after coming so close when they last made it to the Finals.
The next big mistake: firing Avery Johnson.
Can we directly blame Johnson for the Mavs failure to advance past the first round in two years? This guy has won himself a 'coach of the year' award to prove his worth and its very hard for us to see that he isn't even coaching in the league right now.
The Dallas front office screwed the core that Johnson is working with in mid-season. How can you expect immediate positive playoff results if your gonna give this guy a new point guard to re-orient at such an ungodly point in the season?
Dallas is now living with those mistakes this season.
Dirk Nowitzki is still with them and the Mavs still has a decent bench. New head coach Rick Carlisle is experiencing early bumps and has yet to translate his newly-instilled system to more wins for Dallas. They might still have the chance to make a turnaround because the season is still young.
But still, the field has gotten stronger while the Mavs looked stagnating from where they were last year. We will not be surprised if they end up in the lottery in season's end.
To be continued in the next post...
photo courtesy of AP
Fast forward to the future, we have Kidd scratching his head on the way out of the floor. He was wondering how on earth him and the Mavs ended up reeling to five straight losses. On the other hand here we have Devin Harris, the young talent that the Mavs gave up on last season, blasting away against the Atlanta Hawks with back-to-back 30 points plus games in back-to-back wins!
So how are we supposed to assess the results of that particular player transaction for both teams? Had the Mavericks came as close to what they were a couple of seasons ago? Did they become better as a team with Kidd now in tow?
Taking a good look back to last year's playoffs when Dallas squared off with Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets, it wasn't so special with the younger and more intense Hornets dominating the Mavs. Paul dominated Kidd in their match-up and Dallas' aspiration for a title run ended that time right in the first round.
The Mavericks bench looks dismayed this early in the season.
This season, things are looking unusually bad for the once dominant Mavericks. Dallas had just snapped a 5-game losing streak and are currently at 3-7 tied with the Memphis Grizzlies being dead last in their division.
Devin Harris and the Nets are also currently last in their division as well sporting a 4-5 record. New Jersey is in their new rebuilding plan and whatever the performance that they will come out with this year will be understandable. There is no pressure on the Nets whatsoever compared to what the Mavericks are burdened with which is to justify that Kidd's arrival will win them a championship.
At the rate things are developing, we are seeing a Dallas Mavericks team that is slowly fading because of improved competition. At the same time, their roster wasn't upgraded just as much as the other teams who made great strides to improve their chances this season. The Mavs looked practically the same as they were in the last playoffs even with the way they played, they looked more like expiring goods than a team with championship ambitions.
Why is this happening to the Mavs? It's because they were so much in a hurry. Their historic first-round playoff upset loss to Baron Davis and the Golden State Warriors two seasons ago triggered the Dallas front's erratic planning and mid-season maneuvering. Proven veteran point guard Kidd came in as they gave up their supposed-to-be future point guard Harris. And after bowing out of the playoffs in the first round yet again last season, Avery Johnson got the axe.
One big mistake leads to another. We at NBA Loud.com were no big fans of that trade because we find it so ridiculous and hasty on the part of the Mavericks.
Trading for Kidd only showed how desperate the Mavs bosses are to win a championship as soon as possible. Thinking that a veteran like Kidd is the answer to their problems proved to be a wrong move. Dallas was looking for an immediate and dramatic positive impact and here they got a short term and unassuring performance from Kidd and the rest of the Mavs. Patience was thrown out of the window when Dallas was taken out in the first round of the playoffs for two straight years after coming so close when they last made it to the Finals.
The next big mistake: firing Avery Johnson.
Can we directly blame Johnson for the Mavs failure to advance past the first round in two years? This guy has won himself a 'coach of the year' award to prove his worth and its very hard for us to see that he isn't even coaching in the league right now.
The Dallas front office screwed the core that Johnson is working with in mid-season. How can you expect immediate positive playoff results if your gonna give this guy a new point guard to re-orient at such an ungodly point in the season?
Dallas is now living with those mistakes this season.
Dirk Nowitzki is still with them and the Mavs still has a decent bench. New head coach Rick Carlisle is experiencing early bumps and has yet to translate his newly-instilled system to more wins for Dallas. They might still have the chance to make a turnaround because the season is still young.
But still, the field has gotten stronger while the Mavs looked stagnating from where they were last year. We will not be surprised if they end up in the lottery in season's end.
To be continued in the next post...
photo courtesy of AP
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