Kidd, the rock of Dallas, continues to pile up assists, wins

Jason Kidd has been described in a variety of ways. From "future Hall of Famer" to "one of the best passers of all time" to the "guy that everyone wants to play with."

After wrapping up another win this week, Kidd's current coach summed up his point guard's role on the Mavericks a little more succinctly. Kidd is a "rock," coach Rick Carlisle says.

"Games are about runs and guys making plays," Kidd said. "I've seen a lot, so I try not to get up too high or down too low because there is a lot of basketball yet to be played."

It's been often said that it's hard to fully appreciate Kidd's game by perusing box scores. Even those who carefully watch the 36-year-old conductor may not absorb the full range of his influence. Triple-doubles aren't a nightly occurrence in Dallas. Length-of-the-court passes with just enough English to slide around a defender that hit a breakaway teammate in full stride don't happen with the frequency of a LeBron James tomahawk.

What you're most likely to see is Kidd trot up court, set up behind the arc and lob and otherwise nondescript pass to Dirk Nowitzki on the wing. Showtime? Try slow time.

After 15 years in the league, Kidd has traded quickness for quick reflexes. He specializes in subtleties.

Kidd controls and, as Carlisle said, "aggressively steps into opportunities." Kidd is the Mavs' metronome. He's become Nowitzki's favorite domestically produced point guard.

"The tone he sets is solid, consistent and strong-willed," Carlisle said. "He's a major part of our personality. The thing I love about Jason is that he has a flair for the dramatic, but a real appreciation of the need for simplicity."

The return to Dallas wasn't exactly smooth for Kidd at first. After the controversial trade that sent Devin Harris and two first-round picks to New Jersey in February 2008 for Kidd, the Mavericks flamed out in the first round of the playoffs.

Last season started even worse. When Kidd returned to New Jersey for the first time a year ago, the Harris Experience was cranking up. He lit up the Mavs for 41 points and 13 assists in a Nets' win -- remember those? -- and was on his way to his first All-Star Game. Harris also happens to be a decade younger than Kidd.

Despite the age difference and Kidd's mediocre 6-9 playoff record since coming back to the franchise that drafted him, hardly anyone in Dallas debates the Harris trade any more. Kidd has become the quarterback the Mavs and Nowitzki need.

Kidd didn't take any special enjoyment in beating New Jersey earlier this week, giving the Nets their 18th straight loss to set the all-time record for season-opening futility. "You have to play the games on your schedule," he said.

That, in that simple Kidd way of saying it, is his focus. He's not satisfied with the Mavs' start, even though they're 14-5 and leading the Southwest Division going into Friday night's game at Memphis.

"We know we've got a lot more to improve on," Kidd said. "We've played a lot of close games that maybe we shouldn't have made close, but wins count this time of the year. We'd like to get healthy, but that doesn't mean just because we're healthier we're going to turn it on."

Josh Howard remains out with a sore ankle, though he continues to make progress. Erick Dampier returned this week and Shawn Marion is fighting through aches and pains. The early season injuries have put a strain on Carlisle's rotation. Nowitzki, 31, is logging 38 minutes per game and Kidd nearly 35.

"We would like to be healthy so we're not playing a lot of minutes," Kidd said. "When you're playing 39, 40 minutes, that's a lot of minutes for guys like Dirk. When you're full strength, those minutes will go down, but does that mean we'll get wins? I think we'll take wins right now.

"Last year at this time we weren't happy. The good thing is we are winning. We're winning the close games. We've got to finish game and that's the one thing we're not doing right now."

Kidd is doing his part. His perfectly timed dish to Jason Terry set up the game-winning jumper Monday against Philadelphia. Kidd flirted with a triple-double two nights later at New Jersey. He's fifth in the league in assists at 9.1 and calls the team's plays about 80-90 percent of the time.

But when you ask the man that trails only John Stockton in assists what numbers interest him -- Kidd is closing in on 10,400 assists in a career that began in 1994 -- he points to the team's record.

"To sum it up, he gets it," Carlisle said. "He understands winning and he facilitates good chemistry by how he orchestrates a game. He's gotten better and better with it."

Art Garcia has covered the NBA since 1999. You can e-mail him here and follow him on twitter.

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