Frank:
I’d like to give credit where credit is due.We all know ruruland is a huge Melo fan, and maybe that colors his perception of his strengths and weaknessesat times. But credit should be given in terms of what ruru expected from Kidd, who 80% of this board was opposed to signing.I recently found the “search” Knickerblogger function, here are some of Ruru’s greatest hits — all before the season started:

Thanks

Owen:
The Kidd-Yoda thing has really taken off, heard it in a few places.

This is something special from Kidd and it will definitely burnish his reputation. But I think he was already recognized as an all time great right? Wasn’t he a mortal lock top ten point guard before he arrived in Dallas? I remember watching those Nets teams. They were all Kidd. He made Kerry Kittles and Richard Jefferson NBA relevant.

The thing about Kidd is that like few players he has changed his game dramatically in his NBA career. And maybe we are seeing that with Melo and the three point shot.

I have always said that the problem with Melo’s game is his insistence on shooting 19 footers rather than stepping behind the line. This year, he is doing it and it is paying big dividends. Long may the threes rain down….

Remember when we talked ab

Frank O.: I have to agree. when I first heard it, I thought Knicks fans in the crowd were mocking them. Now, I like their anthem.

Remember when we talked about this?

jon abbey: THANK YOU! this is exactly what I’ve been saying for weeks, it’s so odd.

I have to agree. when I first heard it, I thought Knicks fans in the crowd were mocking them. Now, I like their anthem.

Jim Cavan: Totally fair. The only caveat I’d add is that this is our 5th recap in seven nights, and our nerves are shot accordingly. Obviously this was a great win. It’s just that after so many nail-biters, the nerves connecting my brain to my fingers stop functioning at times.

But excellent points all, Frank. These boys have moxie. MOXIE I TELL YA!

…and true to form, I laughed out loud again.
You’re a talented writer, which you don’t need to hear from me.
And I admit after that first period I was frustrated as well, but I had a sense that they would fight back. It seems to be this team’s character to do so.

Brian Cronin:

What I don’t get is what is the point of that? It sounds like it is mocking Brooklyn, doesn’t it? Like when people mocked Darryl Strawberry with “Daaaaaryl. Daaaaarryl.”

THANK YOU! this is exactly what I’ve been saying for weeks, it’s so odd.

He’s a very unique player at this stage in the half-court. It doesn’t look like he’s doing much, but he actually facilitates a great deal of half-court ball movement. ?The trust he engenders in his teammates who always know they’re going to get the ball back in good position, I think has a downstream effect on chemistry and synergy in both a game and over the course of a season.??

Kidd would be a better fit than Nash…perfect in every way. Much better defender, doesn’t need to dominate the ball to add value, fantastic spot up shooter, and yet he’s an extreme pass first player like Nash– something Lin needs to pick up on.

I’m not sure why the Kidd addition is being so overlooked. His impact isn’t all that far off from Nash in this situation, IMHO.
I think it’s going to play out the same way it did for Denver in ’08 when they acquired Chauncey Billups. Obviously Kidd isn’t going to be a highly efficient No.2 scorer, but the way he manages the offense and organizes the team on both ends will be difficult to quantify. His passing, despite the assist numbers drop, is still all-world.

And if anyone has had a chance to watch Dallas on Synergy, Carlisle simply couldn’t keep Kidd off the floor — he does so many things well, perhaps subtly to even the trained eye.

He does so many great things for an offense. You can only get so many assists playing hot potato on the 3pt line.
You’ll see and we can talk then.

There are a few HOF-caliber players that sort of reinvented themselves as they got longer in the tooth…take Wilt, MJ (became much more of a fadaway jump-shooter and passer,) KG (same game but more deferential.) Kidd’s transformation is pretty extreme, though!

The 3-pt shot is becoming so in vogue compared to the pre-D’Antoni days that unless they move the line out (and widen the court,) more and more guys are going to base their games on it, from grammar school onward. Back in the Bird-Magic days, only “specialists” like Dell Curry and Craig Hodges shot 3′s regularly…most guys weren’t even defended out there.

People criticize Isiah’s shooting because of his poor 3-pt%, but Simmons points out that he actually measured up very well league-wide for his time. He’s an example of a guy who never practiced 3-pointers growing up (they didn’t exist except in the ABA!) Now everybody grows up practicing them.