Kidd, O'Neal setting their teams back

Back when Dallas and Phoenix decided the only way to counter the Lakers’ larcenous deal with the Grizzlies was to tear their teams apart midstream and start over, many NBA pundits agreed with their strategies. The Suns needed a big man to counter L.A.’s front line and San Antonio’s ultimate winner, Tim Duncan. The Mavs had to get some leadership in the backcourt, the better to avoid a third-straight playoff collapse. When it was all over, Shaquille O’Neal and Jason Kidd had new teams, and the balance of power in the West had shifted back.

Not.

The Suns and Mavs aren’t dead yet, but funeral arrangements are pending, and obituary writers have crafted their opening paragraphs. Both trail in their first-round series, 3-1, and neither appears to have what it takes to mount a comeback. It is clear now that both teams made awful decisions that will have long-term ramifications. They made ill-advised choices that may set them back for several years in a conference which has several powerhouses poised for long-run success and a couple others waiting for the opportunity to pounce on any carrion left by the side of the road.

In short, Dallas and Phoenix messed up, and they are going to pay for it.

Lest you think this is eagle-eye hindsight, go back to the archives and check out my assessments of the trade-deadline deals. The Gasol theft topped the list, followed by Mike Bibby to the Hawks. (That seems to be working out well for Atlanta, isn’t it?) In a tie for third — and in this case last — place were the Phoenix and Dallas deals, each of which has proven to be a boondoggle.

Now, there will be some of you who say the Suns couldn’t possibly beat San Antonio, with or without Shaq. That may be true. But had Phoenix not interrupted its momentum, it probably would have secured a higher seed and avoided the Spurs in the first round. And if you’ll remember, it took a shaky suspension in last year’s post-season to stop the Suns from bumping off San Antonio.

Nearly every aspect of the Shaq deal is a mess. Trading for him to beef up a team’s defense makes no sense, because O’Neal hasn’t been the most eager defender in years. These days, his creaking body (he turned 36 in March) won’t allow him to succeed at that end on a consistent basis, even if he tries. Pairing him and Amare Stoudemire, another reluctant defender is a bad idea. Trying to integrate Shaq into an offensive scheme that rewards movement and craves space is another substantial gaffe. Finally — and perhaps worst of all — the Suns owe O’Neal about $40 million for the next two seasons. Given the Big Plaintiff’s pending divorce case and ridiculous spending habits, he’s going to want every bit of income he can get. In other words, don’t expect an early retirement. And with Steve Nash turning 35 next February, Grant Hill reaching 36 this fall and Raja Bell blowing out 32 candles in September, the Suns have suddenly gone from a young, fast, cool team to a bunch of NBA senior citizens — not a bad thing, since old folks like the dry heat in Arizona.

Phoenix may be in bad shape, but the Mavs are in bigger trouble, because Kidd is playing like a career backup, rather than a front-line NBA point guard. After Sunday’s wretched performance in Dallas’ game-four loss to the Hornets, the Mavericks might settle for the production of a backup. Kidd’s line was awful: 28:50 minutes played, 3 points, 3 assists, 4 rebounds, 1-of-6 shooting. Is Derek Harper available for the fifth game?

Kidd was brought to Dallas to provide playoff leadership and production. He has done neither, unless you consider a cheap shot on Jannero Pargo worthy of praise. More than likely, it was the frustrated action of a 35-year old former star who can’t get it done anymore. Worse, the Mavs are on the hook for about $20 million next year. Meanwhile, Devin Harris, an electric point-of-the-future, is in Jersey, about to become one of the centerpieces of the Nets’ future. Dallas is toast, and owner Mark Cuban must now decide whether coach Avery Johnson is to blame for three straight playoff debacles or if it’s the players’ fault. You can bet Cuban won’t blame the owner, even though it was he who pushed so hard to get Kidd. Oh, yeah, don’t forget about Josh “Rastaforward” Howard’s recent revelation about his “offseason” love of cannabis. What a mess.

The upshot? Both teams are in trouble now and in the future. They aren’t going to advance in this series, and they’re not in good shape for the future. Sometimes it seems like the only way to counter a strong move is with another power play. In the case of Dallas and Phoenix, staying pat would have been the best strategy. They know that now.

GAME OF THE WEEK: Atlanta at Boston, Wednesday, April 30

Who would have thought a fifth game between the Hawks and Celtics would be a biggie? Well, after Atlanta’s triumph Monday, the teams are deadlocked at two wins apiece in their series, and Boston has to be wondering whether it can handle the young athletes from Atlanta. The biggest worry? Defense. Boston led the league in field goal percentage D this year but allowed Atlanta to shoot 47.8 percent Monday night. That has to change unless the Celtics want to be shocked.

IN THE PAINT

Larry Brown loves North Carolina. Michael Jordan loves Larry Brown. Whether Bobcats fans (or players) will have the same affection for their new coach remains to be seen. But LB is back on the bench, charged with making Charlotte into a contender. He couldn’t do it with the sad-sack Knicks. This could be his final chance.

Smart move by North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough to stay out of the ’08 Draft. He’s a 6-8 college power forward who isn’t ready for NBA life. He needs to become more of a perimeter threat. Curious decision, though, by Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet to stay in school. He was a consensus top-10 pick and must hope he doesn’t fall next year, like Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert did this season.

Pat Riley says he’s out of the coaching business for good. We’ll see about that. Riles owes it to the Heat to stop yo-yoing back and forth between the bench and the front office. He has picked one job. Now, stay with it.