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I'll just copy and paste what I wrote in that other thread:
You can pretty much sum up the arguments this way:
Trade makes Dallas better:
- Kidd has been dogging it in New Jersey and even so, still almost averages a triple-double. He will pick up his play even more in Dallas.
- In the playoffs you need to be able to execute in the half-court. For all of Devin's strengths, he is not the quarterback that Kidd is, and Dirk, Josh and Terry will all get better looks and will not have to create as much for themselves anymore. The Mavs have struggled with an over reliance on ISO play.
- I personally have always felt the mentally soft chokers thing was overblown and exaggerated, but I'll concede there's a sliver of truth to it. Whatever weaknesses that Dallas has had when it comes to mettle , heart and edge, Kidd addresses those things. For those of you saying Dallas lacked an "alpha dog," they have one now.
- DeSagana Diop is a backup center averaging 3 points, 5 rebound and 1 block in 17 minutes per game. This hurts Dallas' depth, but between Juwan Howard and the incoming Malik Allen, they can't possibly replace that? Who is to say they're done tweaking their roster?
- Harris' rep as a outstanding perimeter defender is a bit undeserved. He didn't exactly shut down Baron Davis in the playoffs last year, he didn't shut down Dwyane Wade in the Finals, and his presence hasn't stopped Steve Nash from doing whatever he wants against the Mavericks. Yes, the Mavs are going to have some mismatches not in their favor, but who guards Dirk if they play the Suns? Amare? Grant Hill? Who guards Dirk if they play the Lakers? Odom? Gasol?
- A lot is being made about how "washed up" and old Kidd is, and there's no question that his acquisition shortens their le window, but the Mavs don't have four les. Kidd was arguably the best player last summer for Team USA, and Harris is a promising young talent, but you can't put him in the same class as Paul, Deron, Baron, Nash, etc. I think most Mavs fans and even the front office feels like the bargain Miami made to win a le RIGHT ING NOW and pay the mortgage later ended up being worth it. Dirk is about to turn 30, Josh is about to be 28. The Spurs aren't going anywhere anytime soon, neither are the Lakers, and you have teams like Portland and Utah on the rise. It would be nice to have a perennial le contender, but they'll settle for just one.
Trade makes Dallas worse:
- With Gasol to the Lakers, Shaq to the Suns to join Amare, and with Duncan still in San Antonio, losing Diop leaves a big hole in the middle that they have yet to address. They solved one problem and potentially created a bigger one.
- Harris and Diop together are vital pieces when it comes to matching up with San Antonio, who is likely to be the biggest obstacle for any team seeking to make it out of the West. Dallas is the only team besides Shaq/Kobe and Malone/Stockton to send Tim Duncan home, and some of those X's and O's advantages have been mitigated.
- Kidd's acquisition makes it tougher for Dallas to land another interior big that they'll need in the postseason
- Harris is probably better suited to defend the quicker guards Dallas likely will see in the playoffs like Paul, Nash, Iverson, Parker, D. Williams, etc.
- This moves reeks of desperation in response to the Suns and Lakers acquistions without enough thought to the long-term management of their roster
I was against it, but given the almost certain chemistry problems that would ensue if they were to call it off, they HAVE to go through with it now. The front office and Cuban have repeatedly said they were happy with the team and wanted to give it another shot, and that Harris was their PG. They've just publicly contradicted that stance, and Dirk, Terry and Stackhouse have all reacted with glee to the news of Kidd's acquisition and in a way thrown Devin under the bus.
