Stephen A. Smith: Doncic, Kidd, Mavs ‘Something Special to Behold’
When it comes to giving out strong opinions on sports topics, not many analysts are as polarizing as ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
On Sunday, the Dallas Mavericks (49-30) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks (48-30) on the road, 118-112, behind Luka Doncic’s 32 points, eight rebounds and 15 assists. The game was nationally televised on ABC, and at halftime, Smith had some lengthy praise for the Mavs after watching them go toe-to-toe with the reigning NBA champions.
“I think they’re something special to behold,” said Smith of the Mavs. “I think Jason Kidd should be a candidate for Coach of the Year.”
Smith joined Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel as the second person this week to publicly voice support for Kidd in the Coach of the Year race. He didn’t stop there, though, as he went on to give his thoughts on Dallas’ upper management and the Kristaps Porzingis trade.
“I think Nico Harrison should be a candidate for Executive of the Year because [he] got rid of [Kristaps] Porzingis,” said Smith. “It’s a romp in terms of that trade that took place. Spencer Dinwiddie has been a welcomed addition to this squad. You can’t say the same thing about Porzingis [in Washington] yet.
“You see that he was having a detrimental effect on this squad. They play better [now]. The squad plays much better defensively [and] they’re being exceptionally well-coached.”
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
© Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
To say Porzingis hasn’t been a welcomed addition in Washington might be a stretch, being that he’s averaging 22 points and eight rebounds per game in 15 games played for the Wizards. They seem happy to have him. However, Washington is just 6-9 in those games, whereas the Mavs are 15-5 in the 20 games Spencer Dinwiddie has played in since the trade.
“Jalen Brunson has turned himself into a starting guard in the National Basketball Association. We see what Dinwiddie is doing, and we [already] know what Luka can do. I can’t say enough about what we’re seeing from Dallas,” said Smith.
With just three regular season games remaining against teams well under .500, the Mavs will have three good shots at capturing their first 50-win season since 2015. After that, the playoffs begin, and that’s where the Mavs will try to end an 11-year drought of not being able to get out of the first round.
