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I’m trying to save all my all-star game material for the post-analysis of the event, so I’ll dedicate this post to Jason Kidd, the latest “hot-commodity” player to surface who’s name isn’t Damon Stoudemire, Pau Gasol or Shaquille O’Neal.

I’m a huge stats fan. I think they tell a much larger picture then people give it credit for. Sure, there are intangibles like leadership, pride, and determination - but what good are those qualities without the numbers? It’s like me writing a column without any facts. I may have good intentions, but without any proof, they’re just words coming out of the mouth of a bitter 21-year-old.

Alas, Jason Kidd’s name has been tossed around since last summer - starting with Kobe Bryant mouthing off about Andrew Bynum. Since, Kidd has remained quiet, hasn’t gotten any coaches fired, hasn’t unintentionally-intentionally requested any players and has been relatively the same triple-double monster. The difference this year, compared to years past, is that Kidd is actually removing himself from the mess he created in Jersey. 
Instead of getting mad at Frank, Thorn, Vince, Jefferson, or Jamaal Magloire. Wow, what a disaster he turned out to be. Regardless, Kidd is taking the easy way out - requesting a trade, remaining silent - as to appear unselfish - and playing his heart out, 0.36 vs. 0.40 last year.

I hate players like Jason Kidd. He whines and complains, gets people fired and hired until he gets his way and requests a trade because the mess he created is less organized than a drawer of bubble wrap. He got one of the best coaches fired - Bryon Scott. He pretty much stole a sulking Vince Carter from the Raptors. What more of a picture can I paint? He’s cancer.

Kidd is hall of fame material, no question about it. But if the hall was based on loyalty and ethics, Kidd wouldn’t ever appear on the list.

Onto the actual proposed trade and away from my rant.

Apparently, the Mavericks had Kidd, and filler Malik Allen, set in their sights for Devin Harris, Devean George, Jerry Stackhouse, DeSanga Diop and Maurie Ager. That is until superstar Devean George blocked this trade from going down, get this, with his no trade clause!

How did he get this? I have no idea. What I do know is that I’m so glad George had the gull to stand up and say, metaphorically, that this deal wasn’t in his best interest, at least not yet, so he wasn’t going anywhere. Can you blame him? He’ll be moving from a playoff bound Mavericks team to the swamp in New Jersey. I’m not making that up - that’s New Jersey’s tag line. Would you do any different?

This proposed deal will cripple the Mavericks - who are already shallow on the bench. Sure, Cuban is trying to mix it up, but bringing on Jason Kidd isn’t going to prove anything. He’s a champion, a moderately good defender, a “leader” and makes everyone around him better, with the exception of Vince Carter. But can he really improve on an already solid Mavericks team?

Should he get dealt to the Mavericks, their lineup would look something like: Kidd, Terry, Howard, Nowitzki and Dampier. No too shabby eh? Well lets look at what’s coming off the bench: Trenton Hassell, Eddie Jones, Juwan Howard, Brandon Bass, Juan Jose Barera, and Nick Fazekas. Yeah, so basically no one is coming off the bench for the Mavericks.

This trade would cripple them from a depth standpoint and also from a winning standpoint. The Mavericks will NOT win with Jason Kidd. Who is he going to lob passes to? Didn’t he already have Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson with a big man (Krstic) and a shooter (Nachbar) in Jersey? How much better could he have had it?

My point here is that Cuban is making a deal for the sake of making a deal. LA got bigger. Phoenix got bigger. San Antonio’s gearing up. Cuban doesn’t HAVE to make a move. He’s making it to compete in a game he’s already won. If he stays put Dallas will be in a much better position come playoff time.

Sorry Jason, you had your chance. The fans will forgive Devean George when the Mavericks win the title this year - you can bet on that. The New Jersey fans, all five of them, won’t forgive you for being a stat whore and a leader who couldn’t motivate Vince Carter.

Ah statistics, they can only show so much.

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