Jason Kidd Made All The Right Moves For Dallas Mavericks

Credit Jason Kidd for finding the tonic to turn the unpredictable chemistry experiment pairing Luka Doncic with Kyrie Irving into a championship formula.

The Mavericks are in the NBA Finals for the first time since Dirk Nowitzki went midrange villain and guided Dallas to its lone O’Brien Trophy in 2011. Kidd was part of that team, too, winning his only NBA title at age 38.

There was every reason to believe the All-Star duo couldn’t work in tandem. Irving requested a trade out of Cleveland during the Cavaliers most dominant years as Eastern Conference heavyweights, bailed on Boston after saying he’d never leave and never seemed to sync fully with Kevin Durant and James Harden with the Nets.

When Dallas acquired Irving, then signed him to a long-term extension in free agency, he was labeled as “damaged goods.”

Winning, as they say, heals everything.

In Doncic and Irving, the Mavericks paired two of the more ball-dominant scorers in the NBA and more than made it work in their favor. With Irving putting Minnesota defenders on skates in the pick-and-roll and Doncic dialed in as a scorer and passer.

The supporting cast played a massive role in defending the Timberwolves on the perimeter and making more than their share of open shots. In Game 5, Dallas shot 44.1 percent from 3-point range, a weapon even the depth-minded Celtics will be challenged to defend in the NBA Finals starting Thursday night in Boston.

Doncic fed on the vitriol from the Minnesota crowd and was dialed into dog mode in a way last seen in the 2022 playoffs Game 7 laugher over the Phoenix Suns (123-90) that got the Mavericks to the Western Conference finals.

“Game 7 in Phoenix and this one (Game 5) was very close to that, where he took the crowd out of the game right off the bat,” Kidd said. “He let his teammates know that we’ve got to take it up a notch. They joined the party. But he sent the invites out and they all came.

“As a leader, that’s what you need on the road against a very talented team to let them know it’s going to be hard. And he definitely did that.”

Doncic and Irving had 36 points apiece on Thursday to close out the conference finals. Doncic made six 3-pointers, Irving had four.

Doncic was named MVP of the series. He averaged 32.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. Irving put up 27 points, 4.6 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game.

Credit is due to Irving, who willingly deferred to Doncic without taking his foot off the gas entirely. Irving, who spent the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons with the Celtics, is back in the Finals for the fourth time in his career and first since 2017 with the Cavaliers.

“Feels great. Definitely don’t take this moment for granted,” Irving said. “We had to earn our spot into the NBA Finals. We had to go against some great opponents – I feel like they got us better.  … It has been seven long years, but it’s also felt like the right amount of time in order to be in the locker room with my teammates, enjoying it. It’s a long time coming.

Irving, 32, credits Doncic for rising the occasion. They’ll need to be on the same level to tip the favored Celtics, who have defeated Irving and his teams in 10 straight games.

“We’ve got to get ready for the court turning gold as I like to say. Shoes turn gold. Jerseys turn gold,” Irving said. “As a kid, that’s what you dream of – getting into the Finals and playing against the best of the best with the whole world watching.”