The 50 greatest players in NBA history, ranked by win shares
By Cal Durrett
Greatest NBA Player #32: Jason Kidd-138.56
10-time NBA all-star Jason Kidd and the aforementioned Nash often get compared to one another since they were two of the better point guards of the 2000s and were former teammates in Phoenix. Nash does have the edge in terms of shooting and assists, though Kidd has a big edge in terms of rebounding, defense, and win shares.
Speaking of rebounding and defense, they are key reasons why he ranks higher than Nash, not to mention that he played 1,391 games to Nash’s 1,217, the equivalent of two full seasons. At his peak, Kidd was an elite playmaker in his own right, particularly on the fastbreak, and that skill helped transform the New Jersey Nets into title contenders.
His court vision and ability to toss pin-point lobs helped unlock the potential of players such as Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson, creating a fun offensive attack that won games. Kidd finished as the runner-up in MVP voting in 2001-02 and led the Nets to back-to-back NBA Finals in 2001-02 and 2002-03.
He and the Nets had the misfortune of running up against the Shaq and Kobe Lakers and then a Spurs team that had four Hall of Famers on it. Fortunately for Kidd, he would later win a championship in Dallas in 2011 by helping topple the Heat in the NBA Finals. He would retire two seasons later as a member of the New York Knicks and begin his coaching career, though he hasn’t had the same success as he did as a player.
That has no bearing on win shares, though. And while Kidd was a below-average shooter with just a .507 career true shooting percentage, he was otherwise a complete player. He made nine All-Defense teams, ranks second in career steals and assists, and somehow is also in the top 60 in total rebounds. All that combines to put him at 32nd in win shares, and considering his versatile skillset and flaws, that seems fair.