Mavs’ Jalen Brunson Speaks On Playing For Jason Kidd
The Dallas Mavericks have already had a very busy offseason, starting with Donnie Nelson parting ways with the franchise, then followed by head coach Rick Carlisle deciding to leave town to join the Indiana Pacers. After those moves, the Mavs moved quickly to bring in Jason Kidd to replace Carlisle.
Kidd has a very long history with the Mavericks, and his relationship with Mark Cuban is great. While there were a lot of critics surrounding the move, Kidd should fit nicely in Dallas. In particular, the Mavs are hoping that Kidd can come in and form a strong relationship with Luka Doncic.
Along with Doncic, the rest of the Mavs' guards should see a benefit from being coached by one of the best point guards the NBA has seen. Kidd could have a very strong impact on Jalen Brunson.
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Brunson took some time to speak out on working with Kidd, as shared by Mavs.com.
“We’ve talked a lot,” Brunson said of his interactions with Kidd. “I think our most important conversation was about our last series. We talked about what I can do to improve and things that we can do just to be a better team. And whatever it takes to be a better team, I’m all for that.”
To say that the first conversations between Kidd and Brunson were good would be an understatement. Obviously, Kidd knows how valuable Brunson can be for the Mavericks moving forward.
During the 2020-21 NBA season with the Mavs, Brunson ended up playing in 68 games and starting in 12 of those appearances. He averaged 12.6 points per game to go along with 3.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds. In addition to his averages, he shot 52.3 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 40.5 percent of his three-point attempts.
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If he continues developing the way he has through his first three NBA seasons, Brunson has the potential to become a starting point guard. He could end up developing into the secondary ball-handler that the Mavericks have been searching to find to pair with Luka Doncic. However, it appears likely that Dallas will pursue Kyle Lowry to assume that role.
Either way, Jalen Brunson is going to be an important piece for the Mavericks. Whether he moves into the starting lineup or comes off the bench, he will bring value. His relationship with Kidd is off to a great start, which is music to the ears of Mavs' fans everywhere.
