SenorSpur
01-11-2006, 04:43 AM
Watching the game Tuesday night versus New Jersey takes me back to a frightening possibility scenario. What if Jason Kidd had actually signed with the Spurs during the summer of 2003?
I, for one, publicly criticized the Spurs, in this forum, for wanting to sign Kidd. Yes, I heard all of Pop's reasonings as to why it made sense to pursue Kidd. However, their fascination with Kidd never made sense to me for this team. I never bought that "playing Kidd and Parker together" bullshit. Does anyone believe the Nets would have simply allowed Kidd to walk without attempting at least a sign-and-trade for possible compensation?
Sure Kidd was considered the "best PG in the league" at the time. However, the long range effects of signing him would have been horrendous for the franchise. For the simple fact that the Spurs salary structure would have been "blown to shit" with Kidd's 7-year, $90+ million contract.
No doubt Kidd would have added another dimension with his incredible passing and rebounding ability. However the fact is Kidd was not and is still not as good a shooter as Tony. Nor can he get to the rim as easily and as quickly as Tony. Which means he cannot consistently create the open space that Tim and the other shooters need to run the Spurs inside-outside offensive scheme.
Also look at the health risks with Kidd. He's had a bum knee for a couple of seasons and while he's still playing at a reasonably high level, his body is starting to betray him.
Had Kidd signed here, I seriously doubt we'd have secured that 3rd championship and with two superstars (Duncan and Kidd) making close $200 million between them, there's no question the Spurs roster and financial flexibility would have been drastically different. Not to mention, the core group of the team would have been a lot older.
Don't get me wrong, Kidd is still one of the premier PGs in the league and maybe one of the best ever. However Kidd will be in his late 30's by the time his current contract expries. The fact that Tony is on the cusp of an all-star-type year, along with his quickness, scoring prowess and youth, all have made him the better fit for our club. We're all starting the see that upside that was only a glimpse 2 years ago.
With all that said, can we all agree that sometimes the best moves are the ones that either you don't make or that fall through altogether? Seems to me Tony has worked out OK and at a CHEAPER PRICE, I might add.
I, for one, publicly criticized the Spurs, in this forum, for wanting to sign Kidd. Yes, I heard all of Pop's reasonings as to why it made sense to pursue Kidd. However, their fascination with Kidd never made sense to me for this team. I never bought that "playing Kidd and Parker together" bullshit. Does anyone believe the Nets would have simply allowed Kidd to walk without attempting at least a sign-and-trade for possible compensation?
Sure Kidd was considered the "best PG in the league" at the time. However, the long range effects of signing him would have been horrendous for the franchise. For the simple fact that the Spurs salary structure would have been "blown to shit" with Kidd's 7-year, $90+ million contract.
No doubt Kidd would have added another dimension with his incredible passing and rebounding ability. However the fact is Kidd was not and is still not as good a shooter as Tony. Nor can he get to the rim as easily and as quickly as Tony. Which means he cannot consistently create the open space that Tim and the other shooters need to run the Spurs inside-outside offensive scheme.
Also look at the health risks with Kidd. He's had a bum knee for a couple of seasons and while he's still playing at a reasonably high level, his body is starting to betray him.
Had Kidd signed here, I seriously doubt we'd have secured that 3rd championship and with two superstars (Duncan and Kidd) making close $200 million between them, there's no question the Spurs roster and financial flexibility would have been drastically different. Not to mention, the core group of the team would have been a lot older.
Don't get me wrong, Kidd is still one of the premier PGs in the league and maybe one of the best ever. However Kidd will be in his late 30's by the time his current contract expries. The fact that Tony is on the cusp of an all-star-type year, along with his quickness, scoring prowess and youth, all have made him the better fit for our club. We're all starting the see that upside that was only a glimpse 2 years ago.
With all that said, can we all agree that sometimes the best moves are the ones that either you don't make or that fall through altogether? Seems to me Tony has worked out OK and at a CHEAPER PRICE, I might add.