Late in Dallas’ win over Oklahoma City on Saturday night, after the Mavericks’ huge lead had been trimmed to six, Jason Kidd brought the ball upcourt. And one thought sprung to mind.
Who else would you rather have with the ball at this point? Very few players. He’s steady. He’s smart. He’s poised. In other words, at 38, he remains everything you want in a point guard. Because he’s that old we’ll say that his play has slipped. But we’re not convinced. Dallas leads the Thunder 2-1 entering Monday’s game not just because of Dirk Nowitzki but also thanks to Kidd’s leadership and poise late in games. By the way, on the above possession Kidd dished to Nowitzki for a bucket.
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Contrast that with Oklahoma’s highly talented Russell Westbrook, who gets knocked for shooting too much and for sometimes still trying to figure out his role. Heck, he was benched for the entire fourth quarter for Eric Maynor in Game 2 — and the Thunder won.
No way that happens with Kidd.
“He’s an all-time great, not just as a point guard but as a player,” said ESPN’s Mark Jackson, who played against Kidd and now analyzes his performance. “He’s a natural born winner.”
Yes, his game has slipped. He’s not going to shut down a great scorer all game. But he has helped force Westbrook into 15 turnovers and has recorded 12 steals this series to give him 28 in the postseason. He’s also averaging 10.0 points and 7.5 assists. The intangibles, though, can’t be measured as he pursues his first championship ring.
And he just recorded his 17th straight season of averaging at least 7.9 points. Want to know who never did that? Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, John Stockton, Isiah Thomas and … everybody else.
“I love his competitive spirit,” ESPN’s Jeff Van Gundy said. “To maintain his love of the game after playing this many years goes a long way, and he’s a very impactful player. He certainly isn’t the same point guard he was back in his prime, but he’s a guy who knows how to win and makes winning plays.”
