Skip to main content

2011 NBA Finals: Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki & the Dallas Mavericks

*Originally published on Suite101.com in 2011. 

In the 1990s, the Dallas Mavericks were supposed to build the franchise around Jason Kidd.  Instead, the rebirth of the Dallas Mavericks revolved around Dirk Nowitzki.

The Dallas Mavericks began franchise operations in 1980.  Despite a holdout and refusal to play for the team by first draft pick Kiki Vandeweghe, the Dallas Mavericks had a good run in their initial years.  The team built up a strong core with draft picks other than Vandeweghe, obtaining Mark Aguirre, Rolando Blackman, Sam Perkins, Derek Harper, Roy Tarpley, and Detlef Schrempf.  After 3 years of sub-.500 records, former NBA Coach of the Year Dick Motta, as well as coaches John MacLeod and Richie Adubato, helped lead the Mavericks to six playoff appearances in seven years during the 1980s.  This included an appearance in the 1988 NBA Western Conference Finals.  However, the team then fell to NBA Draft Lottery status with consecutive losing seasons in the 1990s. 

The Three J’s: Jason Kidd, Jamal Mashburn & Jimmy Jackson

The Dallas Mavericks turned back to the NBA Draft in hopes of restoring franchise pride.  Initially, guard Jim Jackson caused problems by holding out after being selected by the Mavericks in the 1992 NBA Draft.  However, he eventually signed, with the Mavericks landing two other potential franchise cornerstones by drafting forward Jamal Mashburn in the 1993 NBA Draft and point guard Jason Kidd in the 1994 NBA Draft.  In 1994-1995, Kidd, Mashburn, and Jackson helped lead the team to a respectable 36-46 record, with Kidd being named co-NBA Rookie of the Year.  However, even the return of Dick Motta as Head Coach was not enough to hold the core group together for more than a couple years.  After Mashburn lost most of the 1995-1996 NBA season to knee surgery and the Three J’s continued to struggle to work well together, all three were traded away, ending the hopes of restoring franchise pride with these potential franchise cornerstones.  

The New Big Three: Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki & Michael Finley

In trading Jason Kidd and others, the Dallas Mavericks obtained guard/forward Michael Finley as one of the franchise’s new cornerstones.  Next, Don Nelson joined the Dallas Mavericks as General Manager and eventually took over for Jim Cleamons as Head Coach.  In the process, Don Nelson traded Jamal Mashburn and Jim Jackson in multiplayer trades, helping the Mavericks acquire role players such as center Shawn Bradley and forward/center Kurt Thomas.  Then, Don Nelson and the Dallas Mavericks found two other new cornerstones during the 1998 NBA Draft.  The team acquired rookie forward/center Dirk Nowitzki and young point guard Steve Nash via draft-day trades.  After a couple years of sub-.500 basketball, the Dallas Mavericks began a streak of eleven consecutive playoff appearances as of this season (2010-2011), including a loss in the 2003 Western Conference Finals. 

2006 NBA Finals: Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat

Unfortunately, the Dallas Mavericks lost point guard Steve Nash via free agency in 2004.  To compensate, the Mavericks acquired rookie point guard Devin Harris from the Washington Wizards and young guard Jason Terry from the Atlanta Hawks.  Then, Avery Johnson took over as Head Coach in mid-season, with Michael Finley leaving the Mavericks after a second round loss in the 2005 NBA Playoffs.  Yet, Dirk Nowitzki remained a cornerstone for the Dallas Mavericks.  With Avery Johnson coaching Nowitzki, Terry, and Harris, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, and Phoenix Suns—with Michael Finley on the Spurs and NBA MVP Steve Nash on the Suns—en route to the 2006 NBA Finals.  Despite a 2-0 lead in the 2006 NBA Finals, Nowitzki and the Mavericks fell 4-2 to the Miami Heat, who were led by returned Head Coach/General Manager Pat Riley, guard Dwyane Wade, and center Shaquille O’Neal.  Furthermore, former Mavericks forward Antoine Walker served as the Miami Heat’s third-leading scorer in the Heat’s 2006 NBA Playoffs run.

Jason Kidd Returns to the Dallas Mavericks

After former Mavericks forward Antoine Walker helped the Miami Heat defeat the Dallas Mavericks in 2006, Dirk Nowitzki helped the Mavericks earn the best record in the NBA during the 2006-2007 NBA season.  For his efforts, Nowitzki was named 2006-2007 NBA MVP.  However, more pain would be felt in the playoffs, as former Mavericks Head Coach/General Manager Don Nelson helped the Golden State Warriors upset the #1 seed Dallas Mavericks in the 2007 NBA Playoffs.  Recognizing the need for the Mavericks to stay atop the Western Conference and capitalize on the prime years of the careers of Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry, President Donnie Nelson (son of Don Nelson) turned his attention to Jason Kidd.  In February 2008, the Dallas Mavericks traded cornerstone point guard Devin Harris to reacquire former cornerstone point guard Jason Kidd.  With that, Jason Kidd returned to the place he had hoped to lead to the NBA Championship during the 1990s.  

After a first round loss in the 2008 NBA Playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks hired Rick Carlisle as their new Head Coach.  The Mavericks also managed to bring in key young players such as J.J. Barea and Rodrigue Beaubois and recruited displaced veterans such as Shawn Marion, Caron Butler, Tyson Chandler, Brendan Haywood, DeShawn Stevenson, and Peja Stojakovic—none of whom have won the NBA Championship.  With these role players, along with cornerstones Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, and Jason Kidd and coach Rick Carlisle, the Dallas Mavericks find themselves back in the NBA Finals, playing in the 2011 NBA Finals against either the Miami Heat (who defeated them for the 2005-2006 NBA Championship) or the Chicago Bulls.  With a team full of people seeking redemption, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry hope to capture their first NBA Championship alongside Jason Kidd, of whom the Dallas Mavericks hoped would close all the gaps 17 years ago.      

Sources:

Basketball-Reference.com.  Accessed May 26, 2011.

Garcia, Art.  “Kidd-napped: Mavs add All-Star point guard Jason Kidd.”  February 19, 2008.  From Mavs.com.  Accessed May 26, 2011. 

“Mavs History.”  From NBA.com.  Accessed May 26, 2011. 

NBA.com.  Accessed May 26, 2011. 

News Wire Services.  “Jason Kidd re-signs with Mavericks, takes money over Knicks.”  The Daily News.  July 6, 2009.  From NYDailyNews.com.  Accessed May 26, 2011.   

Taylor, Phil.  “Agony of D-feat.”  Sports Illustrated.  December 18, 1995.  From SportsIllustrated.com.  Accessed May 26, 2011. 

Youngmisuk, Ohm.  “Jason excited about teaming with Vince, RJ.”  The Daily News.  November 1, 2005.  From NYDailyNews.com.  Accessed May 26, 2011.  

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Zone Defense: The Rule Change Michael Jordan is Forgetting

In accordance with the release of the new NBA 2K11 basketball video game, legendary Chicago Bulls shooting guard Michael Jordan has returned to the media's spotlight. That is, Michael Jordan has caught the sports world's attention by saying that today's NBA rules would have allowed him to score 100 points in a game. No one is questioning Michael Jordan's uncanny ability to make plays, create shots, and score points. Michael Jordan is right in saying that, overall, today's rules favor offensive players, particularly guards. Much less contact is allowed in defensive play; some of what was legal when Jordan played (such as forearms and handchecking) is now deemed personal foul-worthy. Furthermore, with a 30-team league, talent is spread out more than it used to be, and players--while on average are more athletic today--come into the league much less fundamentally sound. However, Michael Jordan has forgotten about the re-emergence of zone defense in the NBA. True,
Read more

Remembering the Last NBA Lockout

Odds are that there will be another NBA lockout this offseason. Previously, there have been three NBA lockouts. In 1995, a lockout lasted three months but did not cut into the regular season. In 1996, the lockout was very, very short - only a couple of hours. However, the third NBA lockout in 1998 was the first work stoppage in NBA history. It ended up cutting out nearly half the 1998-1999 season; the result was a 50-game regular season schedule played in 90 days. There were sequences where teams played 3 days in a row. That is otherwise unheard of in the NBA. A meeting is scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday, June 30th) to further discuss NBA labor negotiations. Here's hoping to no lockout in 2011 or, at the very least, no lost regular season games in 2011-2012. Until then, here are some interesting story lines that were going on around the time when the NBA owners locked out NBA players in 1998. **Please be warned that some of the content is more mature in theme.** > Choking A
Read more

2018 NBA Finals Preview: The Evolution of Cavs vs. Warriors

Picture: Front entrance to Quicken Loans Arena on May 30th, 2018. (There were no new decorations yet for the 2018 NBA Finals as the Q renovation project takes place. Decorations were added today.) Cavs rotation Star players who are core players:  F/G LeBron James, F/C Kevin Love Role players who are core players:  G George Hill, G/F J.R. Smith, C/F Tristan Thompson, F Jeff Green, G/F Kyle Korver Role players who are situational players:  G Jordan Clarkson, F/C Larry Nance Jr., G/F Rodney Hood, F/G Cedi Osman, G Jose Calderon Bench players who are secondary backups:  C/F Ante Zizic, C Kendrick Perkins, F Okaro White *Not on playoff roster: Two-way players:  G/F John Holland, G London Perrantes Warriors rotation Star players who are core players:  F Kevin Durant, G Stephen Curry, G Klay Thompson, F/C Draymond Green Role players who are core players:  [G Andre Iguodala], C/F Kevon Looney, G Shaun Livingston, G/F Nick Young, G Quinn Cook  Role players who are situa
Read more

2007: “Believeland” and the Parallels between Sports and Life

The year 2007 has been a great year for Cleveland sports. Regardless of whether or not the Browns make the playoffs today, all three teams of the ‘Big Three’—Cavaliers, Indians, and Browns—have put together winning seasons. One thing that has always fascinated me about sports is seeing parallels between sports and life, and as fans of these Cleveland teams we can definitely carry their winning attitudes into our own lives (whether on or off the field/court) as we turn the calendar to 2008. In Cleveland sports, we have seen our shares of mishaps and disappointments, including times when players or team officials themselves surrendered too early and never gave winning a chance. As fans, most of us at one point or another have written off certain players, coaches, teams, etc. because we did not believe that they could win, whether the reason was internal to the team or external. Regardless, we have come to expect little out of our teams yet still endlessly criticize them w
Read more

Lesson Learned from ESPN Baseball Tonight's Pitchers' Roundtable Last Night

With Major League Baseball finishing up its All-Star break yesterday, ESPN's Baseball Tonight aired a special "Pitchers' Roundtable" on TV last night. Having watched some of this program, I was thoroughly impressed by the knowledge and wisdom shared by the five former pitchers. The most important lesson I took away from the program applies not just to baseball players and coaches, but to all players and coaches as well as all students and teachers. The lesson, namely, is: "Different people have different learning styles." There is a lot in society and pop culture about "different strokes for different folks". Yet, out on the court, in the classroom, and out in the workplace, there tends to be a focus on doing things one way. As this cliche goes, "there is one right way". Personally, I dislike such a philosophy, although I understand the practicality of it. If there is one "right" way of doing things, then evaluation of perform
Read more

560-342, 95-51 & counting

Picture: The sun shines on the LeBron James billboard across the street from the Q on Monday, April 17th, 2017. In 11 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron Raymone James Sr. has helped lead his team to a 560-342 regular season record (average of 51-31 per season) and a 95-51 playoff record thus far. Prior to the two LeBron eras in Cleveland, the Cavs had compiled a modest playoff record of 28-49 with two Eastern Conference Finals appearances. It's been quite the ride. However, many analysts, fans, and other NBA conspiracy theorists are calling this weekend the end of the second LeBron-Cleveland era. If this is true, making four Conference Finals in a row, three NBA Finals in a row, and winning one NBA Championship will never be forgotten in Cleveland. No matter how many championships James ends up winning in his career, the 2016 win will always stand out. The Cavs defied all odds by coming back from a 3-1 series deficit to defeat a team with a historic 73-9 regular sea
Read more

NBA Team Chemistry Rankings: 3rd Quarter of Season

Here are the updated NBA Team Chemistry Rankings for the 2011-2012 season. Noted preseason contenders --Oklahoma City, Chicago, San Antonio, Memphis, Miami, Dallas, and Boston--all find themselves in the current playoff picture. Of these 7 teams, only the Grizzlies at 4-6 have played sub-.500 ball in their last 10 games. Overall, the Western Conference remains the stronger conference, with 13 of 15 teams at 20 or more wins this season; in comparison, the Eastern Conference has only 9 of 15 teams at 20 or more wins. Regarding team chemistry, there appears to be balance across the conferences, with 5 teams from each conference currently ranking in the top 10. It will be interesting to see how the final month of the season goes and where teams end up in the playoff seeding. Rank Team Notes Previous 1. Oklahoma City Thunder The Thunder continue to look like 'the team of the future'--i.e. the championship team of the next defining era of NBA basketball, a la Magic and B
Read more

The New Cavalier Era

The 2021-2022 NBA season has been quite the ride for the young Cleveland Cavaliers team. There have been ups and downs with multiple winning streaks but loads of injuries and illness. After the New Year’s Eve loss, the Cavs stand at 20-16 and 5th in the Eastern Conference. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff was rewarded for helping guide and teach the team with a Christmas Day contract extension through 2026-2027. Rajon Rondo joins to help fill the void left by Ricky Rubio and Collin Sexton, who both suffered from season-ending injuries. Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley are showing up as big-time players, with Isaac Okoro leading other up-and-coming players on the roster. Trade rumors continue regarding other big-name talent. Regardless, the Cavs are finding their stride this year. 2022 brings much basketball hope to Cleveland, including the NBA All-Star Game in February and hopefully a return to postseason play for the first time in 4 years.
Read more

A New Day in Believeland: A 2nd 'Season Opener' vs. Kyrie & the Celtics

Video credit: Fox Sports Ohio - The Cleveland Cavaliers celebrate LeBron James's  game-winner vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 7, 2018.   From the outside looking in, numerous analysts and fans had watched the past month of basketball and made a distinct observation: the 2017-2018 Cleveland Cavaliers ( prior to the trade deadline ) do not like each other. Wednesday night's victory celebration seemed quite fitting as a farewell party to any spoken or unspoken drama in the locker room. As I stated a month ago: With the trade deadline a month away (February 8th), how the team adjusts or doesn't adjust with IT, TT, DRose, and Shumpert back will help determine if anyone needs to be brought in--and if any of these four players or anyone else ends up getting traded. As it turned out, the suspicions many of us had in Believeland were correct: guys needed to get traded in order to adjust the rotation. TT stayed, but IT, DRose, and Shumpert were all traded away. C
Read more

Will the Cavaliers retire the jersey numbers of Z or Free? Yes for Z, Unknown for Free

Currently, the Cleveland Cavaliers have six former players' jersey numbers in the rafters. They are: #7 (Bingo Smith), #22 (Larry Nance), #25 (Mark Price), #34 (Austin Carr), #42 (Nate Thurmond), and #43 (Brad Daugherty). Retiring radio broadcaster Joe Tait's 39 seasons with the team was also honored with the raising of a banner at the end of last season. There is a chance that #23 can be retired to the rafters someday, but that will require either the contrition of one star player or the emergence of another star player who goes on to wear that jersey for the Cavs. As it stands, the two most likely former Cavaliers to have their jerseys retired in the near future are #11 Zydrunas Ilgauskas and #21 World B. Free . In drafting up the idea for this article over the past month and a half, it has since been learned that the team INTENDS to retire Ilgauskas' #11 sometime in the future. The secret was uncovered when it was revealed that #1 draft pick Kyrie Irving's reques
Read more