• Events
• Photo Sales
• Posters and Reprints
• Press Pass Card
• Reader Rewards e-Newsletter
• Newspaper in Education
• MyDFWstore.com

Posted on Sun, May. 04, 2008

I hate to have to say it, but I didn't tell you so

By RANDY GALLOWAY

Star-Telegram staff writer

Rick Carlisle? Give me until Monday to stop laughing if this is actually Mark Cuban's idea of a loose, creative offensive mind for a next head coach.

The Mavericks are an on-going mess that won't be solved by Avery taking the fall, or certainly by the likes of a Carlisle taking over.

But while waiting for Dirk to hire the next head coach, excuse me at the moment for not caring. Bigger personal problems linger.

No place to run, no place to hide, it's not easy being permanently scarred by this gruesome misjudgment from early March:

I loved the Jason Kidd trade.

As my worthless life continues, I've got names and I've got quotes, so don't attempt to use the backdoor exit on this one. Living now in shame, I'm taking everybody down with me.

Avery?

On his way out of town last week, the former Mavericks' coach never came out and said it, but he definitely dropped hints intended to remove his name from the tainted list of those who supported doing the Kidd deal.

My ears go deaf.

Whatever was said, and by whom in Mavsville, it makes no difference. Avery shares the blame, regardless. Certainly he had the power within the organization to simply say "No." Since he didn't -- for whatever reason, it doesn't matter -- then this was a trade that sticks on Avery's portfolio.

Locally, millions now gloat they knew from Day One the Kidd trade was a disaster. I've heard from all of you, and thanks for the ongoing pokes at me with a sharp stick.

My only rebuttal is this: Devin Harris was/is Josh Howard's best friend. That makes him guilty by association.

So with my mistaken approval of Harris being shipped out of town, it was actually an humanitarian gesture. I was trying to save Devin from the dangers of second-hand smoke. Or save his front door from being knocked off the hinges by Dallas SWAT.

Not that you want to hear it, but I do applaud myself (it's the old one-hand clapping joke) for at least admitting a mistake in opinion. Admitted it a good month ago, long before the Mavs make the first-round exit in New Orleans. Admitted I totally blew it for loving the Kidd deal.

Despite being a slow-learner, I do watch the damn games.

Then there's more one-hand clapping by me:

Devin Harris being here was not going to change anything in the Hornets' series. He didn't in the Golden State series. He didn't in the Finals against Miami. This team was on a downward spiral, with or without him.

The Mavericks needed to be blown up a year ago, like within 24 hours of being disgraced by the Warriors. Research will prove I wrote that -- oh, maybe, 50 times.

But it's not like Donnie, Avery, Cuban, etc., disagreed. They had many grand schemes working all last summer and into the fall. Big names such as Kobe and Garnett were involved.

The most telling factor on what the rest of the league thought about the Mavs' talent was when the Timberwolves flat laughed at a package topped by Howard and Harris for Kevin Garnett. The two best young players on the team, including Howard being an All-Star, drew nothing but chuckles from the T-wolves.

By the way, Minny was right. Getting Al Jefferson from the Celtics proved to be far better than Howard/Harris combined.

The sickening hindsight is to know the Mavs could have traded Josh in February for Pau Gasol. That's what Memphis asked for. But imagine the immediate screams, including from here, if that deal had happened:

Another big soft Euro.

And then Gasol went to the Lakers and then Josh went to pot... so to speak. Now we know the rest of the story.

The Kidd trade was about attempting to give the Mavericks a much-needed jolt. It was about me ending my endless whines on when this team would finally get a real point guard (post-Nash). In the end, the real point guard, one who can play up to Western Conference standards, still hasn't arrived, plus the Mavs got jolted and jilted.

But, admittedly, the worst part of that deal now hits home for the franchise's remaining brain trust.

More than ever, the Mavs' roster needs to be dynamited. It's a franchise fading fast. Unfortunately, Donnie Nelson can't light the fuse. What the heck does he have to offer?

DirkDirkDfffff Dirk? Don't be silly. He's all they've got. With Josh the so-called second best player on the team, where do you think that trade value is right now? Donnie is stuck.

As if the Kidd trade wasn't bad enough by what was seen on the floor, the current view is like looking out the window at a brick wall next door.

Devin, as a young point guard with some talent, could have been a good chip for trading purposes. So could the two No. 1 draft picks. Those are the kind of pieces that can help close a big deal. But they're now gone.

What kind of idiot could have possibly thought the Kidd trade was a good one?

Unfortunately, you're looking at him, scars and all.

Randy Galloway can be heard 3-6 p.m. weekdays on Galloway & Co. on ESPN/103.3 FM.