Offseason Wishlist - J-Kidd's tutoring lessons

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Offseason Wishlist - J-Kidd's tutoring lessons

The legend of Jason Kidd continued to grow in 2009-10, as the future Hall of Famer further cemented his place in the NBA's record books. Now the Dallas Mavericks are hopeful that the veteran point guard shares his knowledge of the game with his talented understudy.

In his 16-year career, Kidd has seen any and everything that can happen on the court. Equipped with a high basketball IQ, Kidd has served as both the floor general and mentor for everyone in the Mavericks' locker room.

"I've never seen a guy have this kind of impact on a game," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said of the guard's court awareness. "I don't know if there's ever been a smarter player in this league than Jason Kidd. There may be a few equals out there -- Magic Johnson, (Larry) Bird, a few others, (Michael) Jordan."

"Jason Kidd is one of the smartest players I've ever seen play. We have a true point guard in him," sixth man Jason Terry said of his backcourt mate.

Kidd's do-it-all style was once again on display this season, as No. 2 recorded two more triple-doubles to bring his career total to 105, good for third most all time. His 11 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists to lead the Mavericks to a 126-108 road win on April 10 even got Sacramento Kings coach Paul Westphal's attention.

"It's beautiful to watch (Kidd) play. He fills up the stat sheet, but he doesn't play for stats. He just plays for making the right play every time, and he gets (the Mavericks) in the right situations," Westphal said after coming up on the losing end of one of Kidd's legendary performances.

Still, that game wasn't Kidd's most monumental effort during the 82-game schedule.

The Mavericks' first-round pick in the 1994 Draft (second overall) seemingly willed his squad to a 111-103 overtime victory in Atlanta on Feb. 26. Behind Kidd's 19 points, 17 assists and 16 rebounds, the Mavericks overcame a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

"(Kidd) doesn't care about scoring, he only cares about winning. He's a true professional, and he helps this team go. He directs traffic out there for this team to be successful," Carlisle explained.

Appearing and starting in 80 games, the 37-year-old averaged 10.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists. Kidd's 42.5 percent from behind the 3-point arch this year is the best in his illustrious career.

"I don't believe he's 37. He's lying," rookie Rodrigue Beaubois said.

While his age does check out, Kidd did appear to be playing with "young legs" as he sparked the Mavericks' uptempo, run-and-gun offense. But his most influential role can't be measured in statistics. That's because the confidence and knowledge that he has passed on to Beaubois is immeasurable.

The versatile first-year guard was like a sponge, soaking up every ounce of knowledge that Kidd spoke into the Guadeloupe native's mind. Further proof of that was evident when Beaubois exploded for 18 points in the third quarter of a road game against the Chicago Bulls on March 6.

"Jason Kidd pushed me saying, 'Just play, just play.' (The ball) was going in, so I kept pushing and it was good," Beaubois said.

The rookie went on to score 24 points on 10-of-17 from the floor, sparking a 122-116 win.


"(Kidd) knows everything. He's given me some advice and I really appreciate it," Beaubois said after one of the best nights of his young career.

"To have the ability to play with a Jason Kidd and the rest of this team is only beneficial for (Beaubois)," Carlisle explained.

Meanwhile, the budding star has also made an impact on his tutor, playing with raw talent and a thirst for knowledge.

"(Beaubois) is a talent. He's going to be a special player in this league. He's a great student. He has all the tools to be successful. He's working extremely hard...He's a guy that people really don't know, but he can shoot, he has long arms to defend and you can't teach speed," Kidd said.

The two have undoubtedly formed a bond, one that the Mavericks hope leads to Kidd eventually passing the torch to Beaubois. But through his play this season, Kidd has proven that he's not done just yet.

For all of your news on the Dallas Mavericks this offseason, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/EarlKSneed.