|
Queeniepop
Posts: 20640
Alba Posts: 0
Joined: 12/29/2006
Member: #1233
|
Marbury Shows He Will Never Be A Kidd.
By Ian O’Connor
To realize his master plan, assuming he has one, Isiah Thomas needed Jason Kidd gone. As much as Thomas wanted the Knicks to improve themselves at the trade deadline, he wanted the Nets to do the improving for him.
Isiah's addition would've been Kidd's subtraction. Had Rod Thorn shipped Kidd 3,000 miles away from the banks of the Hudson, and dropped him right in the middle of Kobe Bryant's backcourt, that wouldn't have been far enough for the Knicks.
The Nets' 101-92 victory in this clash of Atlantic Division mediocrities pushed Kidd's record to 21-2 against New York in games he's played for the Nets, including playoffs. That makes the traditional first-class citizens of this basketball market the Washington Generals, and Isiah Thomas just another Red Klotz.
Only the Knicks' coach knew better than to compare Kidd to Meadowlark Lemon or Curly Neal. "I think he's the closest thing to Magic [Johnson] that's come along in this league since I've been around," Thomas said.
As long as mini-Magic is playing a half-dozen miles from the Garden, Thomas will have problems. He might save his job. He might even exceed Jim Dolan's ridiculously low standards.
But he's not winning the marketplace, never mind the division, with Kidd in the Nets' employ.
This unforgiving truth was hardened in the Nets' victory, which elevated them into a tie with Orlando for the eighth and final playoff spot. Vince Carter continued tilting the scoreboard. He dropped a cool 40 on the Knicks and still wasn't the most important Net on the floor.
Kidd was in all his quarterbacking glory, ringing up 13 assists before committing his one and only turnover, and controlling the game while scoring 11 lousy points. Of course, his redeeming value is never more apparent than when Stephon Marbury is stationed on the other side.
So much has changed since Thorn exchanged Marbury for Kidd, who only took a practical joke of a franchise to back-to-back Finals. But even after Marbury left Phoenix for a return to his hometown, this much has stayed the same: A shoot-first Steph will always lose to a pass-first Kidd.
If Marbury has rightfully earned extra credit this season for trying to share the ball, Sunday night qualified as a relapse.
"If I would've scored six points and he would've had 50," Kidd said, "the bottom line is, did we win?"
Marbury had 22 points, two assists and five turnovers, and lost. Kidd had 11 points, 14 assists and one turnover, and won.
Surprise, surprise.
"To me it's always been about finding the open guy," Kidd said, "and making the game as easy as possible."
Marbury drained three threes and scored 13 in the first quarter, and soon enough his Knicks held a nine-point halftime lead. But Carter and the Nets struck back in the third quarter, when a simple -- if easily lost -- sequence illuminated the priceless value of Kidd.
On two consecutive possessions, he backed Marbury into the box with his dribble and resisted the urge to engage in a scoring duel. Instead, Kidd kicked out passes to Mikki Moore for open jumpers that delivered the Nets four points.
How many NBA superstars would throw two straight passes to the likes of Mikki Moore? How many would spend the very next possession giving up a three-point look and deferring to Bostjan Nachbar, whose own three gave the Nets a 72-61 lead?
"I've always said Magic Johnson was the smartest player I ever played against because he made you pay for every mistake," Thomas said, "and Jason's the same way. ... .He beats you more with his brain than he does with his foot speed and athleticism."
Not since Walt Frazier have the Knicks had a star point guard who beats you with his brain. After the Knicks cut their deficit to 87-84 in the middle of the fourth, Marbury went off on a reckless drive and steamrolled his way to an offensive foul.
Kidd immediately answered by hitting a cutting Nachbar with a sweet-music pass for a layup. Marbury would commit a turnover with 3:27 left, and would force a bad shot 50 seconds later. Kidd's dagger came on a pass to Moore, who nailed the jumper for an 11-point lead.
"If I was younger," Kidd said, "probably I would try to go shot for shot [with Marbury]. But that's not my game. For me to control the game is to put pressure on the defense and find the open guy."
The Nets had 28 assists to the Knicks' 18. Jamal Crawford, gunner, was left to play quarterback for New York, and he managed 10 of those 18.
Where was the self-anointed best point guard in the league? No, Marbury's old declaration never amounted to a well-received theory at Kidd's locker. This quote from Marbury two years ago was even less popular:
"He's just like me," the Knicks' point guard said of Kidd. "He's a loser."
Not quite. Kidd is less than a month away from his 34th birthday. He has a million miles on his wheels, a bad back and a cracked rib, not to mention the pending divorce from hell.
But if you were building a fantasy contender right now, with every NBA player available as a free agent, how many point guards would you pick ahead of Kidd?
Steve Nash? OK. Tony Parker? Possibly. Chris Paul and Deron Williams? Maybe in a year or two.
Stephon Marbury? We'll use Marbury's own quote from his Nets days when asked if the Knicks could win a title with Charlie Ward and Chris Childs at the point.
"Never, ever, ever." |
2/26/2007 7:08 PM
