<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>DALLAS -- Barring Thursday's listless loss to Houston without the suspended Dirk Nowitzki, there's little debate that the Dallas Mavericks' offense at least looks more aesthetically pleasing with Jason Kidd. When else has a long bounce pass skipped through the lane and, like a magnet, stuck to the big claws of Erick Dampier for a running layup? Nowitzki seemingly has benefited from Kidd's playmaking, too, averaging 28.9 points since his arrival. Yet, as Kidd has doled out 10 assists a game with the Mavs, matching his season average with the Nets (10.3), the Mavs' team assist totals, which had ranked near the bottom of the league at 19.9 a game before the trade, haven't exactly leaped tall buildings at 21.3. The Mavs' scoring, 101.4 a game with Kidd, is 0.1 points more than the team averaged before Devin Harris injured his ankle Jan. 27. Those offensive issues, the team insists, will improve. Most alarming, though, are the points the Mavs are giving up. Until Harris' injury, the Mavs were allowing 96.5 points a game and had clamped down during the second quarter of the season. In the nine games since Harris, a quick and sticky defender adept at drawing charges, and Diop, a paint presence and shot blocker, were sent to New Jersey on Feb. 19, the Mavs have allowed 100.4 points a game -- and 110.8 points in the past four games. "There's really one question we have to answer and that's, 'Are we going to play defense?'" Kidd said. "That's what it comes down to. I don't think we have a problem scoring points. It's a matter of getting some stops, limiting teams to one shot and trying to get out and run."</div> Source
