Jason Kidd's status with the Dallas Mavericks  

I like Jason Kidd, he's a very intelligent player and really has great leadership qualities. Though he's slower than he used to be, he's still good enough to help a strong team become a championship contending team. With the limited time that he have now before retiring, Dallas is not a good place for him to stay if he wants to win a championship. Dallas is a strong team but I have noticed something about championship caliber teams that Dallas doesn't possess and that is keeping core players for a long time. San Antonio have Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili for nearly a decade already while the Lakers have Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum. Dallas have Dirk Nowitzki but kept on changing their rosters regularly. A lot of good played for Dallas already but Mark Cuban keeps on changing his roster which hampers the team chemistry. Cuban just lacks foresight. Cuban didn't re-sign Steve Nash because he thought that Nash would be out for about 2 seasons after he became a free agent, what happened next? Nash became a back-to-back MVP and became a lot better player in Phoenix. Should Dallas hope to finally get over that playoffs hump and win a title, they should keep Nowitzki, Caron Butler, Jason Terry, and Brendan Haywood. Shawn Marion could be traded somewhere for a younger player that the Mavericks could also build upon.

As for Kidd, here are some teams that I want him to play. First a team where LeBron James would play for the 2010-2011 season, or either San Antonio, the Lakers, or Orlando. Jason Williams might finally call it quits in Orlando, Kidd could take his spot.

I think Jason Kidd's performance against the Spurs was affected by some flu like symptoms. Kidd was reported to have such symptoms even before the series started. However, there's another thing that I find interesting. Kidd is Dallas' best point guard and Rick Carlisle limited his minutes and played JJ Barea more. Kidd is far more experienced than Barea and could help the Mavericks more. Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley criticized Carlisle's decision of fielding Barea in a lot.

For a team like Dallas, I think Kidd still deserved to be a starter. Jason Terry and JJ Barea are the other two players that could play the point for the Mavericks and Kidd is more fitting than them. Terry is a good fit starting at 2 along with Kidd. If I'm coaching Dallas, I'd have this starting 5: C-Haywood, F-Nowitzki, F-Butler, G-Terry, G-Kidd. Shawn Marion, in my opinion, is better coming off the bench as Terry could set a good tone for the Mavericks early. He's an explosive player and can change the momentum of the game.

Regarding Nowitzki as a second option, that is something good to be discussed. I'm thinking of two things. He could remain as the primary option or he could go as the second depending on who's going to be the primary option. Nowitzki is a streaky scorer and could create lots of mismatches. He's also very versatile and had a good range. He's been Dallas' leader for quite some time already and he's got good experience on his back. He's got a legacy in Dallas already. If he stays in Dallas, he should be the number 1 option and Mark Cuban should consider keeping the core that supports Nowitzki a little longer. With what they have now, they should keep Terry, Butler, and maybe Barea for a couple of seasons more to build a better chemistry with Nowitzki. If Nowitzki opts to stay away from Dallas and find his fortunes somewhere else, he could be a second option if he plays with high caliber players such as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant, and even veteran Kobe Bryant. Though it's so unlikely because the salary cap surely won't permit, playing alongside this stars would put Nowitzki in a secondary option role because these players are in some ways better than Dirk. Nowitzki is still among the top 10 players in the NBA and the shaky support cast that Dallas keeps on providing him makes his tenure with the team always a frustrating one in the playoffs.

The Lakers and Cleveland (or where LeBron plays) are two teams that could really find a really good use for Kidd. I'm also seriously thinking about Orlando. Jason Williams might finally call it quits and the Magic needs somebody to back Jameer Nelson out. Kidd is still a really good player and with his experience and leadership, he could make the Magic a lot more formidable team. And as a consolation, a reunion with Vince Carter.

I really hope Mark Cuban could finally get the right pieces to fit for Dallas. He's been picking top caliber players yet can't seem to find the right chemistry. For about a decade, Dallas has been one of the most formidable teams on paper and on the regular season because of their roster and for 10 straight seasons, the Mavericks never had a less than 50-win season but only made it to the finals once and got eliminated in the first round twice. I think Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Caron Bulter, Brendan Haywood, and JJ Barea are key pieces that the Mavericks should keep. All they need is a point guard that would replace Jason Kidd maybe for next season or maybe in 2012. Kidd will be out sooner or later either through retirement or trade and Dallas should find a good piece to take his place. Dallas could also give some to get some. An offseason trade is very likely to happen. Dallas could go after Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire. These two are really solid players and for sure could make the Mavericks a much stronger team. A bold trade: Jason Terry, Brendan Haywood, and Shawn Marion for either Stoudemire or Bosh should the salary cap permits. That should be so big for Dallas. With all the high caliber players they have on their roster, Cuban could really pull off a very big trade and bring in some more better players and create the perfect chemistry. They already wasted Steve Nash.