All-Time Coach Praises Kidd’s Mavs: ‘One of NBA's More Underrated Defenses’
When a two-time NBA champion says something, you should take heed.
Following the Dallas Mavericks’ 107-99 victory over the Miami Heat, all-time head coach Erik Spoelstra applauded Dallas’ defense.
"This is probably one of the more underrated defensive teams in the league," Spoelstra said.
Holding Miami to 40 points in the second half, the Dallas defense provided a safety cushion for the struggling offense. Typically, you lose when your two best players produce a combined 32 percent from the field. Astonishingly, the Mavs won despite the lowly shooting percentages from Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson.
Most elite defenses have a legitimate individual force as the catalyst. In Dallas' case, no such player exists. Without a legitimate defensive stud, the Mavs will their way into wins.
Simply put, the Mavs are trying on defense.
Spoelstra alluded to such a change in effort.
He said: “They're far different than they were last year. They can do this to you: get you in the mud, make it tough. Just get you into a grind game, whereas in the past, it used to be a little bit more pace."
For the most part, the roster is the same. Despite hesitation from some corners of the media to give Kidd credit, his coaching success is proven by the eye test and the defensive metrics.
Sometimes, you don't need complicated schemes, if effort is the catalyst.
People are starting to notice the change in the Kidd-led Mavs - people with championship hardware.
