The 2007 NBA season was a banner year for bloggers jumping all over stories. That was due in large part to the crack down on whining, the new ball, the switch back to the old ball, the Greg Oden/Kevin Durant hype, etc. However, this season seemed to lack the big storylines. And then Pau Gasol went to the Lakers. And Shaq went to Phoenix. And now Jason Kidd is apparently headed to Dallas. Once again I feel compelled to throw in my reactions. Here goes:
- Now that Kidd is gone it does not make a whole heck of a lot of sense to keep Vince Carter around. Where could he end up?
- My first reaction: Jerry Stackhouse is going to kill someone. Apparently that is not the case, as he will get to rejoin the Mavericks. Go to the link above to find out why.
- What are the repercussions for the All Star game? Kidd can't play for the East can he? Can the West carry 13?
- I agree with Marc Stein (once again above link) when he says that losing DeSagna Diop is significant. I really like how he's played in Dallas. In a way the Mavericks are doing the opposite of what the Phoenix Suns just did. I'm not saying Diop is on Shaq's level. I'm saying Dallas definitely got smaller.
- I wouldn't bet against Kidd doing big things in Dallas. Regardless his star has faded a lot in my eyes. I don't loathe him the way Peter Vescey does. But I do think there are few players in the Association as disingenuous as Kidd.
- In a span of 12 days the Mavs lost to the Celtics without Kevin Garnett, got embarrassed by the Pistons and fell on back-to-back nights to the Nets and Sixers. Granted all of those games were on the road. But still...
- If Shaq and Kidd are both able to play for their new teams by Thursday that could make for an incredibly intriguing game. I'll be watching.
- If this does not end well in Dallas it will be interesting to see how Mark Cuban reacts. Kidd has a reputation for always trying to get his way and not reacting well when that fails. Cuban has a reputation for not letting that type of behavior stay in house.
- Make sure to check out fellow SB Nation blog Mavs Moneyball for reactions to the deal. Wes Cox runs the site and is not pleased.