Jason Kidd Has Turned Into the Suns Leader
Ask an average fan which player on the winning team had a great game, and they'll usually name the player who scored the most points. But ask the average Phoenix Suns player who had a great game when the Suns win, and he will often say it's the guy who almost never leads the team in scoring -- Jason Kidd. Jason Kidd looks to pass first because of the Suns' arsenal of offensive talent.
Kidd might never become one of the great shooters in the NBA, but his impact on games defies measurement by statistics, even though it sometimes seems the trendy triple-double statistic was nearly custom-made for him. You have to see Kidd play -- not just read the box score -- to appreciate how much his special all-around ability has to do with the Suns' (22-12) success. "He's so good at getting to the basket and creating shots for other people, he doesn't look for his own shots," said Phoenix coach Danny Ainge, who knows a few things about shooting. "I've tried to get him to be more offensive-minded. He thinks pass first, but sometimes you need to think shot."
"The guys all around me bubble with confidence," said Kidd, who is among the top five in the NBA in assists (9.0 apg, 3rd) and steals (2.41 spg, 4th). "They want me to have the same feeling. That's what it takes to be a good shooter in this league." While Kidd has some work to do on his shooting, he has been the driving force behind a revival. Since Kidd's arrival from Dallas in a trade Dec. 26, 1996, Phoenix has posted a 45-22 record as of January 14. "It's a gift," Ainge said. "We unwrap him 82 times a year and it's just as energetic, exciting and pleasurable every time."
When measuring Kidd against the league's prototype point guards, like his buddy Gary Payton (29), John Stockton (35), Rod Strickland (31) and Tim Hardaway (31), it's easy to forget that Kidd is just 24 years old and likely has a decade of NBA play ahead of him.
"He makes players around him better, and that's why he's special," said Charles Barkley. "Jason Kidd has a chance to be like Michael, Magic and Larry because those players make everyone around them better."
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