A Look Into The Past, Present, and Future Of Jason Kidd

Jason Kidd is probably the most versatile point guard since Magic Johnson.

With no recognizable weakness except his less than decent jump shot, Jason Kidd is one of the few players who has lived up to the hype. He has fulfilled expectations even through injuries that, in all rights, should have derailed his career.

Kidd may not have a reliable jumper, but in there is no better floor general with the skill set Kidd possesses in recent years.

Player Profile: Then and Now

Up until about midway through the '07-'08 campaign, it can be argued that Kidd's performance and skill set had not declined and he is still as effective as he was in his twenties.

Jason Kidd is part of a small vein of players who do not play within the constraints of their position, but rather, just play basketball.

Centers are bruisers and rebounders, point guards are primarily distributers and floor generals, and shooting guards are scorers and often times asked to produce buckets when their team is going on a cold streak.

Very few players in the NBA today fit all three descriptions. Kidd is one of them.

Kidd can be included in any debate regarding the best rebounders in the entire league, not just at his position. It's not the number of rebounds, albeit impressive as they are, that define Kidd, but rather the manner in which he acquires the boards.

At his age, he is still a monster rebounder by learning the angles and positioning that enable him to grab boards despite his waning athleticism.

As a passer, nobody in the NBA except Steve Nash and the emerging point guards, Chris Paul and Deron Williams, have the ability to make the passes that Kidd can. Like Nash, it seems that Kidd has eyes behind the back of his head that make him especially dangerous running the fast break.

Alongside Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson, and later Vince Carter, in his New Jersey Nets days, Kidd accumulated countless assists each night by running the break and allowing his fellow stars to finish at the rim with ease.

Though Kidd is not an exceptional offensive player, when the game's on the line, Kidd is a reliable clutch performer. He has good hands that enable him to finish at the rim should the occasion call for it. He can also use his large body for a guard to push around those of lesser stature to help him take it to the rack.

His jump shot, though not great, is not awful either. Kidd is still a threat from the perimeter should you leave him wide open.

The amazing thing is, throughout Kidd's entire career up until this day, Kidd's game has not declined in the slightest. Each season, he makes up for lacking areas by upping his production in another area.

I believe that with a full session of training camp with the Dallas Mavericks, Kidd has a very good chance of, once again, proving doubters wrong and returning to his premier, triple-double form.

Dallas Mavericks

During Kidd's first tenure as a Maverick, the team that drafted him, he proved that he belonged in the upper echelon of point guards in the NBA from day one. Averaging almost 12 points, eight assists, and five rebounds, Kidd proved that though he was a raw yet talented rookie, he had the instincts to harness his skills to stardom.

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