Offseason questions: Can Collison replace J-Kidd?
Earl K. Sneed writes that while new addition Darren Collison can't replace the departing Jason Kidd for the Dallas Mavericks this upcoming season, he may provide something that the future Hall of Famer couldn't.
Offseason questions: Can Collison replace J-Kidd?
How do you replace a future Hall of Famer?
Is it even possible?
Following point guard Jason Kidd’s exodus to New York last month in free agency, the Dallas Mavericks’ front office was left to answer those exact questions. The answer wasn’t to replace Kidd but instead to add a player of a different dynamic that could lead the Mavs into a new future.
Not only were the Mavericks losing the No. 2 all-time assist man in NBA history, the player with the second-most number of steals and third all-time in triple-doubles and made 3-pointers, but they were also losing an unquestioned leader and floor general.
If you were to say that replacing Kidd’s production and leadership is impossible in a room full of avid basketball fans, you likely wouldn’t hear any arguments to the contrary. But the show must go on for the Mavs, and with an opportunity to get younger and quicker in the backcourt, the organization flexed its muscles and brought in a starter-level lead guard in Darren Collison to take the reins.
Since impressing in pre-draft workouts three summers ago, Collison has always been on Dallas’ radar but was snatched by New Orleans with the 21st overall pick in the 2009 Draft before having a chance to fall to the Mavs at No. 24. So, when the opportunity to bring in the cat-quick guard -- alongside swingman Dahntay Jones -- came with the sign-and-trade deal that sent backup big man Ian Mahinmi to Indiana in exchange, Mavs owner Mark Cuban and president of basketball operations and GM Donnie Nelson jumped at the chance to add the talented three-year budding star.
And while Collison might not yet compare to Kidd’s ability to fill up a stat sheet, the same could be said vice versa when it comes to Collison’s ability to penetrate and score.
“You know, you can’t replace Jason Kidd. There’s just no way,” Cuban said last month in an interview with NBA TV. “But at the same time, there’s gonna be a lot of things that we couldn’t do, because [Kidd] could take over a game defensively and he could really help us get where we wanted to go, but he was just a spot-up shooter. … And now, we’re gonna force people to really defend us.”
As a rookie, Collison quickly made a name for himself stepping in for an injured Chris Paul in New Orleans during the ‘09-10 campaign, averaging 12.4 points and 5.7 assists while starting 37 of his 76 games. He also torched the Mavs on Feb. 28, 2010, setting a career-high with 35 points on 15-of-21 shooting, dishing out three assists and grabbing three rebounds to boot, although the Dallas team left its home floor with a 108-100 victory thanks to Dirk Nowitzki’s 36 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Now, the soon-to-be 25-year-old Collision won’t have to outduel Nowitzki as the two figure to be involved in several pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop sets this upcoming season. And after averaging 10.4 points and 4.8 assists for the Pacers last season before losing the starting job to George Hill after suffering a late-season groin injury, Collison will undoubtedly have a chip on his shoulders as he prepares to fill Kidd’s shoes.
