Text (Book) Advice: Coach Jason Kidd Sends Messages for Mavs 6th Straight Win
COVID physically kept Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd away from the team on Sunday, but couldn't shut him out entirely from contributing.
During halftime of the 113-99 win vs. the Chicago Bulls, the first-year Mavs coach communicated defensive adjustments, via text message, to acting head coach Sean Sweeney.
"We talked to him throughout the day and at halftime,'' Sweeney said. "He had some thoughts for me and the staff that were really important. ...Throughout the day and in the game, he helps all of us as coaches."
Although the Mavericks pulled away from the Eastern Conference-leading Bulls in the second half, the first half played like a film foreshadowing unfortunate events. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine tortured Dallas' defense to the tune of 24 points by halftime.
Using his Midas mid-range touch, DeRozan nuzzled up to his sweet spot often. Despite bodies surrounding him, the former Toronto Raptor shot an efficient 5 of 9 early on.
The second half, however, played differently. Chasing DeRozan out of his comfort zone, the Mavs' defense only allowed him two mid-range attempts. While the Mavericks' offense heated up, DeRozan's presence faded.
DeRozan finished with 20 points, countered by Dallas' Luka Doncic, who finished with 22 points to go with 14 assists and a season-high-tying 14 rebounds. Doncic, who is the first player to record 22-plus points, 14-plus rebounds and 14-plus assists in a game across the entire NBA, This also got his 39th triple-double of his career as he becomes the new leader in triple-doubles amongst players 22-or-younger in NBA history (surpassing Oscar Robertson).
Although DeRozan's stats magnify the Mavs' defensive efforts, the lack of Mavericks' fast-break execution caught Kidd's attention. According to Sweeney, Kidd relayed a few adjustments to deploy in the second half.
Both Dallas' transition offense and defense finished with positive net ratings. Per CleaningtheGlass.com, the Maverick scored 163 fast-break points per 100 transition plays. On the other end, the Bulls scored 108.3, ranking them in the 35th percentile of the league.
While the thought of Kidd cooking up a defensive scheme makes for a good story, simply applying more Josh Green into transition scenarios seems like another plausible idea.
With the game still in the balance in the fourth quarter, the NBA sophomore finished two alley-oop lobs in transition.
Green had 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field to go with six rebounds and an assist. Green had a career-high 17 points on Friday in Houston, and set a new career-high here.
No matter how you spin it, Dallas executed on defense and offense when pushing the break. Even in his absence, Kidd's influence finds the Mavs.
The Mavericks have won each of their last six games, along with seven of their last eight games. Over their past six games, the Mavericks are averaging 108.7 points per game while allowing only 93.0 points per game.
“It feels amazing,'' Luka said. "I think the whole team is playing together and we are playing great defense. The most important part is that we are having fun out there.”
