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.

Kidd's second season was a breakout season that proved, without a doubt, Kidd's versatillity and dominance over every other point guard in his draft class. Averaging just under 17 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds, Kidd's individual success did not lead his team over the .500 line.

The team finished with a 26-win record and failed to make the playoffs.

During his two years and a half as a Dallas Maverick, Kidd established himself, but a change of scenery was needed for Kidd to prove that like many other superstars in the league, he was a winner.

Phoenix Suns

Under Jason Kidd's steady and exemplary play, the Suns made it to the playoffs in each of his five seasons with them. During his third and final seasons with the team, Kidd's production, combined with the team's continued playoff success, demanded his inclusion in any MVP candidates list.

During his third season, Kidd averaged just under 17 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds. These statistics proved that Kidd was a jack of all trades, and master of all.

His final season with the Suns showed that Kidd was still a dominant point guard despite his age, averaging about 17 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds.

New Jersey Nets

He had many playoff successes with the Nets, including reaching the Finals in two consecutive years.  It seemed that Kidd was ageless and these successes would keep coming. It would only be a matter of time until Kidd received his coveted NBA Championship.

His scoring remained at a strong double digit mark during his whole tenure with the Nets, while his rebounds peaked at a career high during the 2007 NBA Season. Kidd truely was the ageless one, averaging closer to a triple double with every season he played and seemed on the cusp of doing what nobody has done except 'The Big O,' Oscar Robertson.

Kidd proved all his doubters wrong every season that he continued to produce exemplary numbers and continues to do so to this very day.

Dallas Mavericks

With his trade to the Mav's halfway through the amazing '07-'08 campaign, suddenly many of Kidd's aging flaws were exposed. He could not seem to keep up with the elite point guards of the NBA and could not lead the Mavericks over plus .500 teams.

Was this because Kidd's game took a sudden drop or because he was not used to the system? Though I believe it was a little of both; I think it is more so the latter.

Though Kidd can finally be told that he is not the player he once was, it is not so bad that the trade was a complete bust. With a session of training camp to get himself familiar with the system and his teammates, I believe the Mavericks have a decent chance shot at duplicating their '06-'07 success, despite Kidd's declining game.