Sep.29 at 10:22 am

Gilbert0 says:
I have given up on this list( I will still read it daily and comment though!). It is a disgrace that Kidd is hanging out in the region of other players on this list. I cant believe that Kidd isnt in the top 20 of any list, no matter what the criteria are and how much the criteria change on a daily basis. If you read the analysis and stats of Kidd in isolation you would be forgiven for thinking he was a top ten player. 34?? In terms of value to his team Kidd is top 5.

Sep.29 at 10:37 am

Carlos says:
Whens the last time Ason Kidd(missing his J) made an allstar game. It feels like forever. His kid has a HUUUUUUUUUGE head. You guys have to check out Emmit Smith’s roast Guy Torry who plays the black dude that becomes Ed norton’s buddy(not butt buddy)in jail makes cracks about kidd’s son and about the sac town kings, especially my main man hedo torkuglu(awful spelling i know) for running like a retard on the hardwood. Thank goodness for Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIqTQwcr6MQ&mode=related&search= The clip is mos definetly worth your time. It thins out towards the end though but you gotta see shaq crack up and put his head on the table when guy torry goes off on kidd’s son Aside from beating his wife i guess kidd is a good guy.

Sep.29 at 10:46 am

Carlos says:
Since my last comment featured one word that required moderation and would prob lead to eventual rejection i decided to go with a more PG version. My apologies if both come up. I added another paragraph: Whens the last time Ason Kidd(missing his J) made an allstar game. It feels like forever. His kid has a HUUUUUUUUUGE head. You guys have to check out Emmit Smith’s roast Guy Torry who plays the black dude that becomes Ed norton’s buddy(not butt buddy)in jail in American History X(amazing movie btw) makes cracks about kidd’s son and about the sac town kings, especially my main man hedo torkuglu(awful spelling i know) for running like a fool(heres where i toned it down) on the hardwood. Thank goodness for Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIqTQwcr6MQ&mode=related&search= The clip is mos definetly worth your time. It thins out towards the end though but you gotta see shaq crack up and put his head on the table when guy torry goes off on kidd’s son I love Kidd’s court vision and his confidence to take and hit big shots. Miss the Nets of old but peeps tend to give the PG too much credit for the success of others as is the case with Kidd. Yes Kidd had a lot to do with Kenyon Martin’s success in NJ but truth be told Martin’s surprisingly fast decline has less to do with missing Kidd and more to with injuries, attitude, and adjusting to a new role as a jump shooter clearly lacking the explosiveness of yesteryears. Aside from beating his wife i guess kidd is a good guy.

Sep.29 at 11:06 am

Marcel Mutoni says:
i love that roast. good find, Carlos.

Sep.29 at 11:15 am

the_unstoppable_123@hotmail.com says:
u guyzz r good

Sep.29 at 11:46 am

Jamison says:
I think Kidd should probably be ranked a little higher. Even seeing what Vince has brought to the Nets, Kidd is still the most valuable player on his team.

Sep.29 at 12:04 pm

Noah Doucette says:
34?! thats way to low for kidd, one of the greatest point guards ever. i know this is for the best players THIS year but i still think he sould be higher. i meen he did lead the league in triple doubles and he made the 1st defensive team. plus he took his team to the 2nd tound, albeit thats not spectacular but its respectable. even though jason is on the decline(he’s like 34 it had to happen sometime!) he is still one of the top 5 pgs in the league and defintly higher then 34.

Sep.29 at 12:10 pm

scott says:
Lets not forget that the Nets were going no where fast before they traded for Carter. After VC landed in Jersey they went on a streak to make the playoffs. That and Carter decided to start playing basketball instead of whatever he was doing in Toronto that year. Kidd had a nice run back to back finals but with this current Nets squad I think Carter is a little more valuable then Kidd.

Sep.29 at 12:20 pm

Dj says:
i initially supported the list to start out with, people making a big deal out of it seemed to be just arguing for the sake of it. BUT WHEN THE BEST PG IN THE LEAGUE IS RANKED 34th YOU HAVE TO QUESTION IT!!!!!! Some might say Nash is the best pg, but at the very least the debate always comes down to Nash/Kidd. Nobody else is in that level. Chris Paul will be but isnt yet. So even if he’s the second best PG in the league, how are 33 players better than him?! Are the wing and post spots just that loaded?! Cmon. Kidd resurrected kittle’s career, made van horn the best he would ever be, got Kenyon martin paid, and turned RJ into an all-star. Uncle Cliffy is still playing solely because of him too.

Sep.29 at 12:29 pm

Dj says:
i bet they’ll rank chumps like tony parker or lamar odom way higher than kidd. not to even mention that kidd has never played with a good big man at all, its simply amazing that he’s been as good as he is.

Sep.29 at 12:39 pm

Rob Stewart says:
I think Kidd does deserve a higher ranking. Marbury #39 and Kidd #34, that’s just to close. Also I remember Eboy doing that same bowling ball pass around 2001 also. Does anyone know who actually did it first?

Sep.29 at 12:39 pm

Dylan says:
Damn…Kidd has been ranked in the top 30 of all time! 34 is definitly too low.

Sep.29 at 12:59 pm

Dj says:
my bad for mentioning lamar odom as a chump. forgot the man recently went through a tough personal lost.
but i can definately rip on TP. man has 2 rings, eva longoria, and its just not fair.

Sep.29 at 1:13 pm

Carlos says:
This is not the year 2001 or 02 the best PG in the L is not Jason kidd anymore. He may have the best court vision in the L(hard to really measure) and he is argueably the best rebounding PG but he isnt the best overall. THough kidd is decling I’d rank him higher than tony parker especially since slam peeps keep saying these rankings were based on value. As a wiz fan i wonder where arenas finds a home among this list.

Sep.29 at 1:15 pm

Bryant Reeves says:
34 is a little low if this list is based on current skills, BUT if this list is based on potential for future growth and development Kidd shouldn’t he be here? I think NOT.
He has definately hit his celling, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Kidd will go down as one of the greatest point gods of all time. I often wonder if the Suns would be as good as they are now if everything else remained the same… Any best point guard conversation could be based on Marbury, Nash and Kidd’s success with the Suns. while the team was different for all three (to some degree), take a moment and do the following thought experiment:
If everything else remained the same (coach, style of play, other players, etc.) would Kidd and/or Starbury have had the same success with the Suns that Nash has had over the last two seasons?
No question that Marbury would not have done as well (neither would the team). BUT, I think Kidd replacing Nash would have replicated his success. Kidd deserves better than 34.

Sep.29 at 1:36 pm

Dblizzy says:
Dj you forgot to mention that cool plaster photo TP’s got. Anyway, I do think JKidd is one of the best points of all time. He’s definately one of the most creative that i’ve ever seen. What othe point routinely uses the backboard to throw alley’s?
I also think his driving ability is underrated, he’s been a pretty effective finisher when he gets to the hole. And lets not forget the full speed crossover and in and outs that have ruined many ankles. I remember he his Wally sczervahfkaej ith a full speed in and out and wally almost hit the deck. I also love the way he sometimes runs with the ball taking like 5 steps in between each dribble and doesn’t get hit with a traveling call.

Sep.29 at 1:39 pm

Dave Corzine says:
I know I’m way late on this, but you have to check out what happens to this dude later in the Emmitt roast here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jih20sjcc6c&mode=related&search= And while we’re ranking athletes, Walter Payton will always be better than Emmitt. With that mid-90s Dallas line, Sweetness would’ve cracked 20,000 yards.

Sep.29 at 1:45 pm

Balla says:
The raking is way of!
Kid is one of the greatest ever..
Better then Nash hands down..

Sep.29 at 1:52 pm

Myung says:
One of my favorite players of all time. He was one of the first players I knew about in high school (unlike these days, when we hear about 7th and 8th grade prospects). I remember Kidd was tops in his class with Othella Harrington. Jake, a great write-up. You pretty much covered it all. Couple more things: as bad as Dallas was in the 90’s, he made Mavericks basketball watchable (along with JJ and Mash). The bowling ball pass was nice, but my favorite Kidd passes were the ones where he threw a “3/4 of the court” length bounce pass between defenders, right to his man. Only Magic threw them better. The look away left handed alley oop to Kenyon in the ‘04 ASG in LA was one of the most memorable alley oops in history (the Kidd to Kenyon connection was the best since GP to Kemp). He’s still got a few good years left, but like Bryant Reeves said, I’m sure we’ve seen the best of him. He’s been a treat to watch. While his jumper leaves much to be desired and he received way too much credit for the 2001 Nets revival (so did Byron Scott…I’ve always felt like Steph got too much of the criticism…when I think it was a combination of the health of Kittles, Kenyon, and Van Horn, Eddie Jordan’s offensive philosophy, and Kidd’s unselfish floor leadership, in that order), he’s still one of the best PG’s in the game today. I’ll leave it up to the rest of you to debate who’s better and worse than him or who deserves to be where on this list, but Joumana’s husband is a future HOF’er and we should all try to enjoy the show before his knees give out.

Sep.29 at 1:53 pm

chronically_ill says:
Come on, Jason Kidd at 34? That’s too low. He might be declining because of his age, but he’s still one of the top 5 pgs in the league, at the very LEAST. and dont say vince is more valuable to the nets than kidd. Sure, the Nets might have made a nice run after VC came to Jersey, but who did Kidd have around him before VC came? Richard Jefferson? And who else? A point guard is only as good as the players around him, kind of like how a quarterback is only as good as the wide recievers around him. No matter how many nice passes Kidd might throw, he still needed a guy who can finish, like Vince. Nash is an all-world pg, but he wouldnt have been MVP if he didnt have quality teammates around him, such as Shawn Marion, Boris Diaw, Amare, who are all excellent finishers.

Sep.29 at 1:55 pm

Myung says:
Oh yeah…this is just a matter of personal taste, but I’ve always felt like for a Nike guy, Kidd had the most consistently ugly signature kicks in the stable (compared to Pip, Tim Hardaway, Penny, and GP)…also, who could forget his blonde hair episode. As Gary Payton once said, he tried to be “Dennis Rodman’s little brother.”

Sep.29 at 2:00 pm

c-priz says:
Kidd is definately deserving of being in the top 30 of Slam’s best players. He leaves everything he has on the court and has dropped some of the best dimes of all time. His stats are solid and him and Vince Carter make an amazing tandem and will no doubt lead the New Jersey Nets to a winning season.

Sep.29 at 2:11 pm

Will says:
I’d say Kidd is more valueable to the Nets than Vince Carter. Without Kidd leading the way and roasting lazy asses every now and then, we’ll see the old version (and not the flying version) of Wince.
But as Sam Cassell said, Keith Van Horn had his best years with him, not with Marbury (or Kidd or anyone else). Check the numbers. On the flip side, I don’t see any game from Kenyon Martin that could suggest that he would be able to play at an All Star level without Jason Kidd though. Most of the time in New Jersey he’s just floundering around, setting picks, ill advised jumpers, flashing to the post, grabbing fierce rebounds when no one was around. I don’t remember him asking for the ball in the post and work his way. Only when he goes up top, running the break, cutting and depend on Kidd to deliver him the ball he’s at his best.

Sep.29 at 2:23 pm

scott says:
Look I hate VC. How anybody can root for somebody who just quit on his team and pouted till he got traded is beyond me. Then after getting traded Carter is playing like his early days in Toronto. Carter is a fraud. However, Jersey was going no where fast until Carter arrived. Giving Kidd’s advanced age (turns 34 this year) and Carter still in his prime you have to give an edge to Carter

Sep.29 at 2:33 pm

Couch says:
I always find it interesting in these Kidd/Nash/Marbury debates that rarely is the question of external variables. Someone did point out here that Phoenix would be equivalent with Nash or Kidd, but easily worse with Marbury. I don’t think it would be as significant as one might think. Steph took Phoenix to the playoffs with Matrix and Amare during Amare’s rookie year and almost knocked the TD Robot out of the playoffs before they blew up the team the next year. Good look, Myung, on pointing out the excessive Marbury criticism/Kidd celebration after the ‘01 run. I respect Kidd’s game — he’s like Derek Jeter in that you can’t really hate him if you like the sport — but it felt like everyone said Kidd was the only difference between NJ losing 50 games and going to the Finals. That was the ridiculousness.

Sep.29 at 2:33 pm

B Jones says:
Jason Kidd honestly has no business in the top 40. Great players stay great until the very day they retire but Kidd’s numbers have only went down!

Sep.29 at 3:17 pm

Bryant Reeves says:
Wow, I’ve been waiting so long for this and it finally happened - I was mentioned in a Myung post!!! For all the haters out there, I’d like you to know that Myung adds more to these discussions than the rest of you combined.
Also - you’re dead right about JKidd’s ugly kicks. One more thing - “a point guard is only as good as the players around him” -chronically Ill
I’d say that the other players are only as good as their point guard lets them be.

Sep.29 at 3:19 pm

albie1kenobi says:
i think if people noticed, i’ve consistently just enjoyed the list and not cared about the ranking. but this i’d have something to say, and just let me throw it out there that i have my bias for JKidd because we have that same Cal and Jersey connection.
with that being said, i just don’t see 33 players who are more important to their teams or 33 players who are better than him. we can throw out all the accomplishments he’d had and just talk about “right now”. currently he’s 33 and as a point guard who had the dreaded microfracture knee surgery, but there’s still no way he’d decline this quickly in the next season. court vision and leadership doesn’t go away, if anything they get better with age. he won’t be outquicking any point guards very soon, but his solid frame will let him stay in the L for at least 3-4 more years.
i like vince and no doubt he has the talent to complement Kidd’s play really well, but Nets is NOTHING without Jkidd, no matter how great Vince is (can be) or how hard he tries (which seems like an oxymoron).
at $16 mils this year it maybe a little expensive for a slowing point guard with a terrible J, but he’s priceless to the franchais.
as of the MVP thing. god that was infuriating. it’s true that the nets were a mess when Steph was there and Steph MAY have been able to bring the Nets to the final in Kidd’s situation, BUT Kidd was the one who actually DID it. he brought a team that was the laughing stock of the NBA and brought it to the Finals TWO years in a row. i mean, where are the rest of his teammates now? KMart (as much as i love him) is nowhere as effective as he was, KVH is on the bench in Dallas, and Kittles isn’t even in the league anymore. I don’t quite buy how people say Kidd would be better than Nash if he is on the current Suns squad, because the Suns’ system does depend on Nash making the jumpshots, but Nash’s D is probably worse than Kidd’s J. i just feel terrible that JKidd blossomed at the wrong time, almost like Nique was always in the shadow.

Sep.29 at 3:25 pm

t dot j. says:
is it just me or is kidd’s wife mad sexy? like beat dat face sexy? tdot……

Sep.29 at 3:31 pm

albie1kenobi says:
i usually don’t call people out, but B Jones, that’s so ignorant ish. “Great players stay great until the very day they retire”? I’ll give you an example. i think hate him or love him, we can all agree that Karl Malone was one of the best PF of all time, yes? here’re his last 5 seasons not counting the lockout season and the “sacrficial” season at the lakers:
1997-98 - 27.0 & 10.3
1999-00 - 25.5 & 9.5
2000-01 - 23.2 & 8.3
2001-02 - 22.4 & 8.6
2002-03 - 20.6 & 7.8
also, if he doesn’t deserve to be top 40 by that criteria, you are saying that the top 40 guys’ numbers won’t fall off at the end of their careers? that’s an invalid argument.

Sep.29 at 3:38 pm

Myung says:
No way, Big Country. A lot of great hoops knowledge all around on this page (not just me…but thanks for the kind words, man). Albie, you’re one of my favorites on here, bro, but I’ve got some of my own thoughts about Kidd and the ‘01 MVP that (in my opinion) rightfully went to Duncan. If this debate goes on, I’ll pull a “Myung” (as you guys like to call it) and write an “essay.” For now, I’ll spare your eye balls.

Sep.29 at 3:49 pm

CASHVILLE says:
His wife is top ten on my list! J Kidd is a pimp if he can hit a woman that fine and get away with it.

Sep.29 at 4:22 pm

albie1kenobi says:
hey Myung, don’t let some ignorant immature people bring you down. there’s nothing i like more than talking hoops with fellow hoopheads. i always like reading your comments, and i’d love for you to drop some knowledge and insight on that 01 campaign. no knock on TD either as i think he’s a great player (how can you not love someone called TD Robot?), though like i said earlier i have my bias for Kidd. and the only way to make good points is to counter other good points, you dig?

Sep.29 at 4:39 pm

gizmo says:
J-Kidd might be as ugly as Sam Cassell, but he’s in a class of his own when it comes to the fast break.

Sep.29 at 4:41 pm

DVLb0y613 says:
Its sad to see kidd so high up on the list.I think he’s still one of th L’s Elite players..and one more thing Kidd is the Nets, take him out of joisey and that team would be lottery bound even with VC and RJ around…

Sep.29 at 4:52 pm

Shiz says:
Oh Man!! Most sexiest wife in the League hands down. So sexy in fact that it became an issue she was gettin so much camera time. Trust…they were not that interested in TJ, even though he look like his daddy spit him out. She is so bangin…so…so…bangin… I used to watch the games just to catch a glimpse. She’s the truth. Eva’s cool…a bit of a cradle robber, but hey I aint hatin! Get yours girl…man she’s the truth. I’ll kill Bob Ryan if he ever threatens Joumana again, thats word on my life. How dare he!…what are we talkin about, again? Oh yeah! The one man army Ason! He never been tooken out, he keep mc’s lookin out/ Drop dimes like Britney be droppin babies/ enough to make a nuh go craaaaazy! He makes his passes look so effortless. No looks, no look bounce, no look lob, double bounce full court pass (where the ball bounces a few times), full court lob (the one to McDyess is still one the illest), behind the back, behind the neck, from the post, on the break, either hand I could go on and on. He’s like a passing artists candy shop. Any kinda pass you need he can give ya. And he may have the name of the late great O.D.B. (r.i.p., Dirt!), cuz of his lack of a j, but ya cant deny that he hits em when it counts. Oh yeah, and to rub it aaaall in our faces, he reminds us of how SUPA fine Joumana is every time he’s at the charity stripe….lucky bastard!! Just gimme 3 minutes!…maybe even fo…she be ready to marry a nukka

Sep.29 at 4:52 pm

G-Z says:
This is without a doubt THEE best point gurad in the L since john stockton bounced. I wish we still had K-MART, but his sselfish ass wanted mo’ $ and jet’d only to cry. Anyhow, J Kidd is the MAN for sure. I rock my Kidd ALL STAR jersy with pride evry time. He eptomizes how we get busy in the GOLDEN STATE. We runnin n gunnin niggas!
MAD props for the grand wizard- JASON KIDD-
CALI IS IN THE HOUSE!!!

Sep.29 at 5:04 pm

Myung says:
I’ll do like Dj yesterday and say WARNING: THIS WILL BE LONG. If you don’t want to read it, scroll on. This is for Albie the Jedi Master. My thoughts on the MVP thing; I mean, you know I’m a Hawks fan, but I’ll call a spade a spade. I try to be as objective as possible, and when it comes to Kidd and Duncan, I don’t really have a bias to cloud my vision. I respect both players greatly. Here’s my thing…as much as Kidd was a catalyst of that ‘01-02 squad, all of the major media outlets were so quick to gush about how ONE PLAYER turned that team around (a la Nash when he joined the Suns). No doubt a point guard is a floor general so he has possibly a bigger direct impact on a team’s offense than a swingman or a PF. BUT what I was saying was that he got way too much credit for being a team “savior.” I’m not even a Marbury fan, but it was unfair of the non-SLAM media to take a jab at Marbury every time they praised Kidd. It was two sides of the same coin: “Obviously Marbury was a selfish player because look at what pass-first Kidd is doing with the same cast. Kidd is the ONLY reason the Nets are wining with the same cast.” Same cast? Kittles missed the entire season. Van Horn played half the year, and Kenyon missed a month. The 4th leading scorer of that squad was Johnny Newman! In Kidd’s first season, Kittles played all 82 games, KVH played 81, Kenyon missed just 9 games, and the Nets added talented rookie Richard Jefferson that year as well. In addition, Eddie Jordan’s (I refuse to call it Byron Scott’s coaching) system proved perfect for Kidd and the athletic Martin and Jefferson (a la D’Antoni, Nash, and Diaw). Was Kidd a better match for the system than Marbury? In my opinion, yes. Does that automatically make him the savior and Marbury the scapegoat? I don’t think so. It’s like when Parcells goes to a new team or when Riley came back to coach the Heat. Too much credit given to ONE GUY. I guess what I’m saying is, as much as I think the MVP award is nice and all, it’s such a stupid and inconsistent award… basketball, football, baseball (well, not as much)…these are TEAM sports. I don’t like it when one player or coach or GM is annointed the difference maker in a revival. So many things have to come together to win games (especially championships). Onwers, GM’s, coaches, players, good fortune… if everything falls into place at one time, usually good things happen. Like the saying goes, “all the stars alligned.” Jason Kidd was vital to the Nets turnaround back in 2001. If he weren’t there, I doubt they make the Finals. That being said, isn’t it fair to say he got too much of the credit? I love Jason Kidd, but he’s just a cog in a machine. An important cog, but a cog nonetheless…and in my opinion, he wasn’t as important a cog to his machine in ‘01-02 as Duncan was to the Spurs machine. Cog? He is T-Robot. Just one man’s opinion. Have a good weekend, guys.

Sep.29 at 5:18 pm

CASHVILLE says:
Since we’re talking about wives here, has anyone seen Deion Sanders’ wife. I saw her on some pilates show and it was like instant daydreaming. What makes it so bad is I was watching it with my girl and I was still like Damn, she bad as hell.

Sep.29 at 5:23 pm

albie1kenobi says:
Myung, that wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. i was thinking more like you’d make the case for TD rather than why Kidd wasn’t the MVP. i completely agree with you with the whole “stars aligned” thing, that’s just how things work, basketball or not. Kidd landed in the Swamp at the best time, best place, with the best crew possible. (though not as great timing as Nash, because if the Nets had happened last two years instead of the early 2000, Kidd would probably have won the MVP once.) like you said, MVP is just some arbituary BS stuff. i mean look at last year, you can make a case for all the top candidates, it all comes down to personal preferences.
and thanks for the Jedi Master comment, truth be told i’m not even that big a Star Wars fan, it was just a name that i like and fits me back in my teenage days. on a completely unrelated note, the Lego Star Wars games are fun as hell. if you got a game console or a PC, check it out. won’t be disappointed.

Sep.29 at 5:29 pm

Shiz says:
Cashville:
dont you hate that?! Its like your natural flight/fight instincts kick in. You freeze, try not to move a muscle. Keep your breathing and pulse rate the same, all in a vain attempt to cover up our ogling, which your girl saw before the damn commercial even comes on! Its like loose-loose. Keep watching and its like a countdown: 5,4,3,2,1…”so…do you think she’s attractive?” You cant run or change the channel real quick cuz thats an admittance of guilt. And I know I’ve had a few nights on the couch for those times where us guys think we have the right answer to the riddle…when really…there is no right answer. Is that Deion’s wife in those nike football ads? I love Urlacher…”we can take em” he whispers as he blots out the moon and stars with just his neck.

Sep.29 at 5:32 pm

Myung says:
Yeah, I admit it was more of a “Why not Kidd” more than a “Why TD” entry. Haha. Oh well.

Sep.29 at 5:34 pm

CASHVILLE says:
I figured I would say something basketball related so I wouldn’t look I’m in front of the computer jerking off. I agree that Kidd is low on the list but we’re beating a dead horse now. He’s the closest thing to Magic since Penny fell off (God bless the Penny fans). It’s a tragedy that him and Kidd never got it going because that could’ve gotten scary. Only Kobe could’ve complained about not getting enough touches on that team. In the hood, Kidd will go down as one of the greatest pg of all time but it might take time to win over the Stockton and Cousy lovers. MF the haters because a pure point gaurd shoudn’t have to rely on his jumper, the powers that be just need to get bodies in there to catch and shoot, dunk or whatever in the hell they need to do with it. I’m out like H.O.R.S and putting up a brick. Ya’ll be easy.

Sep.29 at 5:40 pm

Will says:
I believe the Eddie Jordan system would also work with a score first point guard such as Marbury.
Look at Gilbert Arenas in the Washington Wizards.
Or Mike Bibby in Sacramento Kings (in a similar offense, similar shoot first point guard)
Offense-wise the effect of having a Marbury or a Jason Kidd is probably the same.
But defense wise, can you argue the same thing? Which Marbury team has been one of the elite defensive team ? Nets was #2 in the NBA in defense that year after finishing #26 under Marbury the previous year (zing Lang)
Point guard (and Captain)’s attitude on defense determined the team’s attitude on defense. In fact New Jersey has always been top 10 in defense and mostly top 5 since Kidd’s arrival. While KVH, Kittles, Mac are good players, they’re not defensive whizz. They don’t have dominant shot blocker. No dominant rebounder. No dominant post player. No player that can create his own shot or can go one on one. Contrary to highlights, Kenyon only pulling 5 boards per game, 1.7 blocks a game. This is the same crunk team that Marbury was expected to lead. The fact that Kidd willed the team to the Finals, twice is nothing short of amazing.

Sep.29 at 5:42 pm

CASHVILLE says:
Shiz,
That’s not his wife in the Nike commercials but she can get it too. It’s like he never makes an appearance without a bad chick on his arm and I can’t blame him. I was watchig Beyond the Glory one night and his baby momma ain’t that bad niether. Starting Monday Ima get a jerry curl, a fat gold chain, and a nylon Nike jogging suit and see what happens

Sep.29 at 5:43 pm

albie1kenobi says:
hey no sweat Myung. T-Robot is pretty much like that, massively successful but not spectacular, which means there’re a lot less things to talk about. and Cashville, I agree with you about a point G not really needing a J (i’ve been playing NBA 2k6 extensively and my point Gs pretty much average about 1 point and 10 assists a game) but if he has a consistent jumper than the defenses would have to be honest and can’t just collapse into the paint.
i’ve said all i want to say about Kidd. so we’ll see what’s happening next Monday when we come back to work (HA).
btw, isn’t training camp starting next week? i suppose team previews are coming up soon, yes Slam?

Sep.29 at 5:59 pm

Justin H says:
Jason Kidd is getting looked over a lot nowadays.
It’s probably because of his age. I Don’t know why so many people don’t realize that he is one of the best PG’s.

Sep.29 at 6:01 pm

serbia23 says:
hes aight but i think carter is more valuble then kidd, but we’ll prolly see carter soon too

Sep.29 at 7:29 pm

chronically_ill says:
Amen Myung! You totally nailed it with the whole “one guy getting all the credit” stuff. It’s definitely a combination of the system the coach runs, the right personnel, hell even luck (not running into catastrophic injuries, etc.) As for Bryant Reeves, who said “I’d say that the other players are only as good as their point guard lets them be,” I would have to agree somewhat. Not to hate on Steph or anything (cuz Steph is definitely a true baller), but I guess that’s why Nash and Kidd had more team success than Marbury did in Phoenix and Jersey. Nash and Kidd, with their passing mentalities gets their teamates more involved in the offense, which allows their teamates to thrive, whearas Marbury usually dominates the ball, and his teamates end up standing around watching. But I still stand by the idea that point guards also need good players around them to thrive. For example, we all know how good of a passer Nash is. But would he have averaged those crazy assist numbers if he didnt have teamates who could finish? Would he get all those dimes if he was playing at the local Y? Maybe, maybe, not. Most people just wouldnt be able to hang with him. They would probably drop his passes, brick jumpers, or see some passes whizzing by their heads, because they just dont have basketball IQ (they wouldnt know where to cut, when to cut, etc). Even if they catch the pass, they need to actually FINISH the play. I’ve seen many games, where Nash’s passes werent perfectly on-point and Marion or Diaw had finished plays on sheer athleticism. People just think players like Nash and Kidd just automatically makes their team better. No. To hang with point gods like those two, you need to have some basketball IQ (to know where and when to cut) some athleticism to be able to finish difficult plays and a jump shot to hit open jumpers (even if it’s an open shot, you still have to MAKE it), as well as getting their timing right to get in-sync with the point (to catch alley-oops, etc). Nash and Kidd had players with all those attributes around them, which is why they were able to thrive (Marion, Diaw, Amare for Nash; K-Mart, KVH, Kittles, Carter, Jefferson, for Kidd). Point being is this: Some points might be able to elevate the games of their teammates. But points need their teamates just as much as their teammates need them, since points are putting faith in their teammates to finish the play every time they dish out the rock. It’s a two-way street relationship between points and their teammates.

Sep.29 at 7:49 pm

Shiz says:
Cashville: yeah…deion = pimp…innnnn.

Sep.29 at 8:51 pm

Ryan says:
Shiz, Good lookin on the Dirt Mcgirt ref.

Sep.29 at 10:30 pm

SakePase says:
Greetings mon ami!!! like they say on the radio “long time reader and first time poster” WOW!!!! I am going to keep it short and simple…one of the few active NBA player that is a “lock” for first chance Hall of Famer and yeah he has fallen off from the “Glory Road” but can you say “Seven” as in TRIPLE DOUBLES LAST YEAR, not 2001, which I believe stil was a league leading stat with King James tailing him. Nice RAW STATS but his intangibles is what truly makes him PRICELESS…just ask KMART or even KVH who is out fishing in Alaska looking for a JKIDD Redux for the upcoming season. The guy does everything on and off the court for the Franchise, but for JKidd even that guy Sussman would be out of a job…now that is VALUABLE!!!!! Lastly, Myung good points regarding JKidd supporting cast but how you gonna forget my man with the lopsided Fro or bootleg braids JCollins, the greatest flopper since Divac who in my humble opinion is one of the most “valuable” member of a team that is consistently underappreciated by your “flashy” hungry instead of “substance” casual viewers. Oh yeah shout out to my fellow countrymen Sam “I Am Not” but Dalembert “I Am” who undoubtedly will break SLAM Top 20 list and will provide AI with the needed support which Webber’s wobble knees just cannot do anymore!!!!!

Sep.30 at 2:24 am

watever says:
He is ranked way too low for what he really is especially what he means to a team. People are always downgrading Kidd now because he’s aging and lost a step. But he still has that will that not that many players have…i dont care how much talent u have.Its from within. That same will that brought them to the finals back to back. Kidd is the LEADER of a team. A LEADER that helped a team win 49 games last season and 2 straight trips to the finals. A point that brought defense to a team where it was primarily non-existent prior to his arrival(maybe we’ll make K-Mart an exception). Other than him…Jefferson was a rook, Kittles good but not strong and physical enough, Van Horn….got to be kidding me. Didnt last season when the Nets played the Pistons and Suns back to back during their second streak where Kidd locked up Billups and Nash? And who did they blame for that….Kidd! During that time both were considered MVP candidates before Nash took it.
Isnt this list ranked on the value of the player to their teams? Kidd is 34th and there are 30 teams in the WHOLE NBA. Doesnt the leader mean most to a team? So let’s say that he is the worst leader in the L, which you have to be crazy to believe. Your saying that there are 3 other non or co-leaders better than him? Wow, than one of those 3 teams must be winning the chip this year.
You could make a case that Kidd is not as good as he once was. Maybe true. But he still could get a triple double in any given game. One game u would think that he had a quiet game than u look at the stat sheet and he has a triple double. I remember when Lebron James got his first triple double and everyone was making a big fuss about it in sportscenter. JKidd does it like its nothing. No one right now could keep up with him in that category and thats saying something. Not only in his career but in one single season. Like all these YOUNG guys that everyone praises..cant keep up with the OLD guy.
I just read some of these comments above and one said where Kidd was very successful because of the players that he had. OK who did he have? K-mart rj kittles van horn todd lucious collins. Please tell me which one was a legitimate scoring threat or go to guy. OK stop i dont want to hurt your brain over this. Its either they had suspect jumpers or no heart. They still were successful thanks to one man. And the whole team new who that was. Kidd did everything for them and when i say everything..i really mean it. Substitue another point in Kidd’s situation and they never would have taken this team as far or as successful as Jason. In that era the Nets were ALWAYS criticezed for lack of offense. Not enough scorers there, not enough shooters here. But Kidd ran that poor scoring offense with his leadership, vision, passing, sharing, and making his teammates better made the offense look not THAT poor. They still won games. Its his sharing of the ball thats contagious and makes everyone confident. And when they say “make his teammates better”, they just mean that the player brings confidence among their teammates. Which i think is more valuable than dropping 30 a game and sportscenter highlights every night but still manages to hit the lottery when its all said and done.
To some of the comments above. Your saying how Jason Kidd and Nash are successful because of who they play with. Yes an ASSIST=passer+shooter. But your trying to measure their success by how many dimes they drop. Its not even about that. Its the mentality of sharing the ball and putting the ball in teammates’ hands where theyre in a position to score, most of the time making it easier for them. Finding the open guy who can’t necessarily create his own shot. They are the best in the business and it’s UNBELIEVABLE especially at the speed of the game. Stephon Marbury and Baron Davis would have 8 or 9 assists. WINNERS? dont think so. Making teammates better? Sorry. You cannot totally measure their success on the dimes. Your acting like its all in black and white.
CHRONICALLY_ILL i loved how u were saying how the teammates had to have basketball IQ with the cutting,finishing and CATCHING. haha. your talking about them like they were kids that got cut from their hs teams. umm i would think nba players were just a little better than that.
Stephon Marbury has GREAT talent around him. it would be different with Kidd or Nash running the show.
I LOVE SLAM. But i just think u guys went a little “nuts” with this one. sorry.

Sep.30 at 3:16 am

Drolfe says:
I agree that JKidd should be higher. And i’ll always be kinda bummed that he never won an MVP during his dominating years in NJ. CRAZIEST KIDD MEMORY #1: He was a rookie when I started watching the league, and one of the first ever Courtside Countdowns i ever saw was a sweet pass from Kidd on the break. The classic look right pass left that Stockton used to do occasionally. Commentator says “Ohh Fantastic! Did you see Kidd look to the right??”. That always stuck in my head for some reason, and i tried to do it at every possible opportunity.
CRAZIEST KIDD MEMORY #2: Game 1, 2003 NBA Finals. Nets vs Spurs. At halfcourt after a steal, Kidd has Kittles sprinting down the left side of the court and Tim Duncan in between them as the only defender. To get the ball to Kittles on his left, Kidd passes the ball out to the right, with english, attempting to spin the ball around Duncan’s back and to Kittles. Duncan just managed to break it up with his long arms, but it was still the craziest thing I’d seen. Total instinct.

Sep.30 at 4:14 am

Esco says:
wow, no Shaun Livingston reference today? ….nyways, Kidd’s on of the best PGs ever, hands down, great players make others great, look at K-mart and the deal he got after few years with Kidd, he even recharged VC’s career.
34 is waaaay too low

Sep.30 at 6:04 am

bja says:
Great piece Jake.

Sep.30 at 10:27 am

T Nas says:
Kidd at 34????????????????? you guys must be insane, Im not a kidd fan but the cat has to ATLEAST be in the Top 25

Sep.30 at 12:17 pm

RM # 0 says:
I think it’s a diss too, his passing ability and all around game are insane, did anyone see that overhead alley oop pass to Carter?
Should have been top 20, even with a bum knee and inconsistent J.

Sep.30 at 5:01 pm

IndianIverson says:
As prolly the biggest Raptors fan here .. I’m kinda confuzzled. I do not think TJ Ford and Mo Pete are more valuable to the Raps than Kidd to the nets but they HAVE to be on this list … pshh Bargnani was.

Sep.30 at 5:41 pm

MoPete24 says:
I’m Mo Pete, and even I don’t think I should be on this list.

Oct.1 at 1:40 am

jordan says:
absoulty terrible to see the ebst point guard in the NBA at #34. the guy plays defense 1st team unlike nash. watch when he takes over this year cuz cater and jefferson want revenge and got a bench this year. the best point guard in this decade and you put him at this #. you gona tell me theres a better point guard out there. maybe chris paul is 3 years. gilbert areans and allen iverson jsut score points they dont run an offense and play defense and are not leaders.

Oct.1 at 1:40 am

Teddy-the-Bear says:
Maybe we can share the biggest Raptors fan title. Thanks. And hopefully, Vince Carter is forgotten off of this list. just hopefully. I predict Manu Ginobli at 33.

Oct.1 at 10:41 am

clipse are the future says:
im from T dot and yetim smart enough to admit that vince carter is arguably the most talented player in the nba (not skilled a la kobe, the best like kobe or lebron, or even the most potential) who can do ish like vince? No one! ppl can jump higher, ppl are faster, shoot better, have better handles and yet they still cant do the things he does. However this acts as a disadvantage because his skills and ablities get taken for advantage. Although i do admit he is an ass clown who screwed over the raps, you cant discount wat he did for t dot. Besides vinces lacked the determination, and drive to lead the raps to the chip anyways so who gives a damn. a new era has begun. (without charlie which is really gay) and in a few years the will be perrenial conference title contenders with bosh as the premier pf in the east(he already is sorry jo)

Oct.1 at 10:44 am

jr says:
he will be in the top 15 and if he isnt then it will only reinforce my opinion that this list is slightly inaccurate

Oct.1 at 10:45 am

jr says:
vince carter that is stop hating

Oct.1 at 11:35 am

marcus says:
what!!!! are you guys crazy why the f**k is kidd 34 he is top ten top 5 at most he is the best pure point in the game he is better than chris paul i dont understand how you guys can have a list with chris paul over kidd and steph is not a good list im thinkin of cancellin my suscription lol!!!

Oct.1 at 5:27 pm

Harlem World says:
34th??!! Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, I guess. But you know this is a serious knock on your credibility as an objective magazine. The only way I can see you listing the second best pg (maybe third at worst) of all time this low, is because of the Marbury love thing. We all got love for Steph, word up, but c’mon man…Anybody who knows this game properly knows Kidd is STILL a top 25 player in this league. I’m almost embarassed to see who you have listed ahead of him. Shame on y’all.

Oct.1 at 7:13 pm

DVLb0y613 says:
Word mo pete..word

Oct.2 at 3:52 pm

IndianIverson says:
Mo pete is the illest balla in the L .. no lie [what!!!! are you guys crazy why the f**k is kidd 34 he is top ten top 5 at most he is the best pure point in the game he is better than chris paul i dont understand how you guys can have a list with chris paul over kidd and steph is not a good list im thinkin of cancellin my suscription lol!!! ] lol!!! realli !! omg!!1111 No one really cares…

Oct.3 at 11:56 am

Carlos says:
watever you lost me when you wrote that marbury had great talent around him….hallo i think most peeps can agree that they rather have kidd’s supporting cast than marbury’s. vince, jefferson(possibly the most underrated player in the L), and Kristc is up and coming (nice soft touch and good range) Wake up dude plus now they get 3 pt bomber eddie house and the likes of wright

Oct.3 at 11:58 am

Carlos says:
hahahahaaha indianiverson Neither mopete or tj ford will be on this list that is fo shu…i think slam excluding players such as gerald wallace, caron butler, and al harrington(the list goes on) in place of rooks and unproven players is messed up

Oct.3 at 3:14 pm

orlando says:
hell yeah kidd should be in the top ten he has been to so many all-star games.

Oct.21 at 12:11 am

Vince Fan says:
kidd should be in the top 20 way better tan any other pg. Every all stars stats declined b jones you retard even jordans. Tony parker is good ut not great billups has no choice to be a star with all his amazing players. nash is just a playmaker nothing more. did any of these guys take a team from 26 wins to 52 and the only changes were jefferson and collins. h etook a team from the lottery to hte finals has that happned before. kmart sucked until j kidd came you can see how bad he is without j kidd in denver. there was no offense on that tean except jefferson and it was his first two seasons if he just had a little help not like lebron help but like boris diaw help nets would have 1 or 2 championships by now this was essentialy a 1 man team. now hes slowed down but hes 34 what hte hell and he had mirofracture surgey wich has brought every other player down and hes still an all star try and top that with your fake mvp steve nash.

Oct.21 at 10:45 am

James says:
Jason Kidd at #34? This has got to be the dumbest list ever written. Didn’t Jason Kidd lead the NBA last year with triple doubles with 9 (ahead of Lebron James)? Let’s take a look at the game notes of the Net’s last game against the heat: With his triple-double, Kidd moved into a tie for third place with Wilt Chamberlain for most triple-doubles in playoff history with nine. Only Magic Johnson (30) and Larry Bird (10) have more…

Oct.21 at 4:15 pm

scott says:
Vince fan your rants make no sense at all?

Oct.22 at 2:07 pm

Vince Fan says:
thankyou scott because i havent heard much from you but now i know your just another stupid canadian

Oct.22 at 11:21 pm

scott says:
Not canadian but what is wrong with canadians?

Oct.25 at 5:32 pm

vincefan says:
yeah well you seem just like all them other vince haters so just get a life.

Nov.5 at 11:23 pm

Love & Basketball says:
I think it’s weird to rank Chris Paul ahead of Jason Kidd at this point in their careers. It’s obvious Kidd’s teams still make the playoffs and he still runs the show, does alot to help them win. MC

Nov.13 at 6:02 pm

jkidd biggest fan says:
jkidd is the best. Do you know anyone else that can have a triple double practicly every game!!!????

Jan.13 at 2:23 pm

netsanity newburgh says:
2 all u jkidd haters, jkidd is the best pg hands down.i dont see nash,iverson, or marbury putting up #s or setting records like jkidd does.specially now that he just left that wife of his.now he can focus on da game and take us to the finals once again.put it like this,da heat will not repeat!!!! jreyes newburgh ny

Feb.28 at 8:25 am

SLAM ONLINE | » Jason Kidd: A Reflection says:
[…] The story turned out like most things I’ve written about J-Kidd: very positive. I wanted to pay respect to what he’d meant to the New Jersey Nets franchise and their fans. More importantly, some of the things he said underlined what at the time seemed like his very genuine hope for this year’s rendition of the Nets. […]

Mar.20 at 10:09 am

He can slam? says:
Can he Dunk?? Can he??? If he cant dunk he sux and deserve to be last!! and a bull sh!t player