Dallas Mavericks desperately waiting for Jason Kidd’s return – NBA News
Defending NBA champions Dallas Mavericks have found themselves in a bit of a crisis situation. They have lost 3 of their last four games, are 4-6 in their last 10, and have now slid down to 7th position in the Western Conference, only 1 win ahead of 8th place Denver Nuggets.
The one major reason for their skid is the fact that they have playing without veteran and All Star point guard Jason Kidd since March 30th and are 1-3 in the 4 games played without him. Kidd played the 30th March fixture against Orlando Magic which the Mavericks won, but since then has been missing action with a strained right groin.
And the Mavericks have been missing him on the court.
"We needed his veteran leadership to make passes and not turn the ball over. We definitely need it. Hopefully we’ll see him at some point (this) week and keep the troops together, stay healthy and make a push here towards the playoffs" said Dirk Nowitzki referring to Jason Kidd after the loss to Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.
Since Jason Kidd’s absence the Mavericks have been averaging 89 points and 18.75 assists per game, with their 3 point field goal percentage at 30.12%. Jason Kidd does have a great deal of influence in any game he plays, because of his ball control and eye for plays.
Kidd however has not been having the best of seasons, with his numbers down. This season, he is averaging only 5.9 points, 5.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Compare this to his career stats, where he averages 13 points, 9 assists and 2 steals per game.
His field goal percentage has also dropped from a career 40% to 34.6% this season. However, because of his experience and character, he remains a valuable asset in any team, and certainly is the playmaker in the Dallas squad.
"Of course it will change, he’s our floor general, but we’ve got to make it work until he comes back. We don’t know when he’s coming back. We can’t be just harping on that” said Dallas Forward Shawn Marion.
No time table has yet been given for Kidd’s return. He was expected to miss four games through Memphis, but his availability for the Mavericks next game against Sacramento on Tuesday has not been confirmed yet.
The Mavericks are entering a crucial period in the regular season. Their next five games are against western conference teams and results from those matches will definitely affect the Western Conference standings. Dallas, last year’s NBA champions, are now fighting for a playoff spot, with 3 teams only two wins behind Dallas.
Delonte West, the Mavericks guard, is also not in the best of shape after having twisted his left ankle twice, once during practice Friday morning and again during Friday night’s game against Portland Trail Blazers. His performance has seen a decline since the incident, registering only 18 points since Friday’s game and going 7 of 21 from the field. Consequently all the work load will fall on Rodrigue Beaubois, and although the French guard has loads of talent, but he is inconsistent, a trait which the Mavs can’t afford at this time.
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