Back in early July when it was made official that the New York Knicks had signed the aging, yet surefire 1st ballot Hall of Famer Jason Kidd away from Dallas, many downplayed the move considering that Kidd is now 39 years old and has played in more than 1300 NBA contests.
Kidd didn’t immediately help his pundits by wrapping an SUV around a telephone pole in a late night DWI arrest in the Hamptons. True, Kidd has a fair amount of wear and tear after playing 18 seasons in the Association but many are forgetting that he is undoubtedly one of the best point guards to ever play the game.
While fellow Knicks newcomer for 2013 Ray Felton will probably start at PG, Kidd should be valuable in late game situations considering his more than 140 games played in the postseason, including helping Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks win the 2011 NBA Championship.
Just think of all of the possibilities as Amar’e, Melo, and Tyson Chandler run to the rim for a lob from one of the best all time passers that the NBA has ever seen. Even proven 3 point marksman Steve Novak should benefit tremendously from Kidd’s pinpoint passes as he can now catch-and-shoot in rhythm. Remember how good Amar’e was receiving all of those luscious dimes from Steve Nash in Phoenix?
Many people point to the fact that Kidd averaged a career worst 6.2 ppg last season but he is truly one of the few NBA players still able to change the outcome of a game without scoring through veteran leadership, deft passing, timely 3 point shooting, and still above average defense on opposing perimeter players. Remember, he is also one of the league’s best all time thiefs.
Although coach Woodson will have to closely monitor his minutes, I think that the former 10 time NBA All Star still has some basketball left in him for next season.
Check out Jason Kidd’s Top 10 Plays at Age 38:
Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen has also provided content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, Cleveland.com, CSN Philly.com, Buckets Magazine, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.
