Jason Kidd reveals secret behind Mavericks hot streak after controversial Luka Doncic trade
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The Dallas Mavericks have become the laughingstock of the NBA world following their controversial decision to trade away Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick. To make matters worse, Davis has only played in one game for the Mavericks as he succumbed to a groin injury that is set to keep him out for an extended period of time. Just to rub even more salt on their wounds, Daniel Gafford is dealing with a serious injury of his own, joining Davis and Dereck Lively II on the mend.
But somehow, the Mavericks have not only been managing, but they have also been thriving despite these crucial absences. They have won five of their past six games, including their 111-103 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night, and their only loss during this span came via a game-winner from Sacramento Kings veteran DeMar DeRozan.
Despite being the butt of plenty of jokes, the Mavericks are still alive and kicking, and head coach Jason Kidd credits this to his team’s ability to pick up the slack and play larger than their size.
“We’re a team. We rely on each other. Not just Kai or Christie or PJ…We’re probably not the biggest team right now but we need everyone to come back and rebound,” Kidd said following the Mavs’ win over the Pelicans, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.
Indeed, a hallmark of a well-coached and competitive team is that they do not roll over when faced with adversity. Their fanbase might be against them, and many have derided their decision to let go of Doncic, but they are showing that there is a lot of fight left in them — which is just about as much as Kidd can ask out of his Mavericks amid his team’s worrying injury troubles.
Mavericks find their second wind
In the immediate aftermath of the Luka Doncic trade, there was considerable worry that the Mavericks were going to fall off, considering the emotional impact of such a move. They lost by 43 to the Cleveland Cavaliers and followed that up with a worrying loss against the Philadelphia 76ers. But since then, the Mavs have found their second wind.
The impressive play of Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, and PJ Washington may garner the most attention, but it’s the Mavericks’ collective ability to survive a paint onslaught from the Pelicans that was very promising. The Mavs started Kessler Edwards, of all people, at the five, and played small all night long with Washington as the center, but they were still able to win in the end even with a strong performance on the other end from Zion Williamson.
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