Jason Kidd is already resorting to mind games.
During a post-practice news conference on Saturday, the Dallas Mavericks head coach labeled Jaylen Brown as the Boston Celtics’ best player. Kidd’s comments directly feed into the narrative that Brown and Jayson Tatum can’t succeed together.
“Well, Jaylen is their best player,” Kidd said. “Just looking at what he does defensively, he picked up Luka (Doncic) full court. He got to the free-throw line. He did everything. And that’s what your best player does … He plays both sides, defense and offense, at a high rate. He’s been doing that the whole playoffs. When you talk about the Eastern Conference MVP, it seems like he’s continued to pick up where he left off.”
Brown has performed at an elite level throughout the postseason. His scoring production and willingness to guard the opposing team’s best player have stood out.
Brown is the Celtics’ most athletic finisher. He pressures the rim. He throws down highlight-worthy dunks. His game is very direct and often quantifies in the box score.
Tatum, on the other hand, has a more nuanced skillset. Some nights, he can drop 40 or 50 points. For the most part, though, Tatum is a point forward. He thrives when creating for his teammates. He rebounds at an elite level. And he is one of the best rim-protecting forwards in the NBA, especially as a help defender.
The Celtics have two elite forwards. Their skill sets are very different. Yet, those skills complement each other and allow both players to thrive when sharing the court. There’s a reason why the Celtics have been the best team in the NBA this season.
Kidd’s choice to rely on worn-out narratives to try to create adversity in the Celtics locker room reeks of desperation. His comments were clearly designed to get under Tatum’s skin and generate animosity. The media has been reciting these same narratives for most of his time in Boston.
Kidd didn’t say anything new. All he did was overplay his hand.
Now, the Celtics will know the Mavericks head coach is concerned. After all, there’s no other reason than to lean into controversy so early into a playoff series. Kidd just gave Boston all the motivation it needed to win Game 2 on Sunday.
