Mavericks' move hasn't worked out as well
LAKERS FYI
Dallas traded for Jason Kidd in February, partly in response to Lakers' acquisition of Pau Gasol. But all Mavs have gotten so far is a first-round playoff exit and 19-21 record.
The sand was falling quickly through the hourglass nine months ago. The Dallas Mavericks were running out of time before the trade deadline.
The Lakers acquired Pau Gasol, Phoenix added Shaquille O'Neal, and the Mavericks countered by picking up Jason Kidd in an eight-player trade with New Jersey.
The Mavericks lost in the first round of the playoffs and are off to a 2-4 start this season, though the Lakers aren't calling the Kidd trade a failure. Quite the opposite as they head into tonight's game at Dallas.
"This is a team that's been through a number of campaigns together now," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said of the Mavericks. "Getting off to a quick start may not seem that important to them."
They certainly didn't look sharp Sunday in granting the Clippers their first victory of the season, 103-92.
In fact, the Mavericks are 19-21 since Kidd joined them in February, including their playoff ouster in six games to New Orleans.
Kidd, 35, is averaging 10.5 points, 8.8 assists and 6.5 rebounds this season.
Block party
The Lakers had 10 blocked shots to only three for Houston in a 111-82 victory Sunday.
Three were particularly notable: Lamar Odom caught up to Ron Artest on an apparent breakaway in the final seconds of the second quarter; Kobe Bryant leaped high along the baseline to block Tracy McGrady's layup attempt in the third quarter; and Bryant soared to block Yao Ming's dunk attempt from the 7-foot-6 center's blindside in the first quarter.
Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol each had three blocked shots.
"We're going to get our hands on a lot of balls because of our length," Odom said. "We're a tall team, a big team. We can block shots without even leaving our feet."
Buss, Take 2
Lakers owner Jerry Buss made one thing clear in his 25-minute interview Sunday -- he and Bryant are in a better place than a year ago.
"I think Kobe and I have always understood one thing about each other, and that is that our desire to win shapes our personality, especially in our dealings with each other," Buss said. "I think there's always been respect independent of the fact that there have been moments of grief. I knew that he was the most competitive of all the basketball players ever and I think he understands that about me as an owner."
