Cal Basketball: New Mavs Coach Jason Kidd Calls Luka Dončić `Poetry in Motion'

At his introductory news conference as new head coach of the Dallas Mavericks this week, Jason Kidd half-heartedly suggested that some of the creative things he tried on the court during as a point guard probably looked better than they were in the days before the arrival of high-def TV.

Anyone who spent any time watching the Hall of Fame point guard from Cal would be convinced, but Kidd’s intention was to shine a light on the skills of Mavericks young star Luka Dončić.

“In (1994), there was no HD, so the things (fans) saw were probably amazing because they didn’t get to see them,” Kidd told the Dallas Morning News. “Today we have 10K, 12K (TV), so everything is clear. Luka’s special.”

Dončić, who was in Europe helping Slovenia prepare for its first Olympic basketball appearance later this month, is a 6-foot-7 version of Kidd, without quite the defensive impact but boasting a much higher ceiling as a scorer.

In his third season in the NBA this year, he averaged 27.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.6 assists. He was selected first-team All-NBA for the second straight season at age 22.

Fans in Dallas are eager to see how Kidd — who was drafted by Dallas in 1994 and in a second act helped the Mavs to their only NBA title in 2011 — and Dončić will interact as like-minded point guards.

“His imagination is at the highest level, which is a great thing to be a part of,” Kidd said. “My imagination — again, because things are grainy and they aren’t clear — I tried a lot of things, and I know I drove my coaches crazy, but I think he still has that flair, that ability to try something. I won’t get mad because I’ve been in those shoes.”

Kidd, 48, was hired last month to replace Rick Carlisle, who left Dallas after 13 seasons and since has been hired by Indiana. Carlisle coached the championship team featuring Dirk Nowitzki and Kidd, but the Mavs have lost their past six playoff series.

Kidd said he looks forward to talking in person with Dončić about things like ballhandling duties and workload but he believes he’s well-equipped to work with a star player after his two seasons as an assistant with the Lakers, where he collaborated with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

He said Dončić is “probably a little more advanced” than Nowitzki was at the same age, and has had a front-row seat to watch as Dončić averaged 25.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 9.6 assists against the Lakers the past two seasons.

Kidd is excited by the prospect of working with the only other player in franchise history to win NBA Rookie of the Year honors.

“From afar, it’s a beautiful thing to watch,” Kidd said. “It’s poetry in motion.”

Cover photo of Jason Kidd by Mark J. Rebilias, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo