"I didn't mean to cause such a stir" - Jason Kidd shuts down 'mental warfare' narratives on Jaylen Brown praise
Leading into Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd caused a buzz on social media. He emphatically told reporters that he considered Jaylen Brown to be the Boston Celtics’ best player over Jayson Tatum. Most fans and some analysts were convinced his comment was a deliberate plan to reignite a narrative that has been simmering for some time.
Kidd justified his claim when he noted how Brown’s elite play on both ends of the court allowed the Celtics to win the Eastern Conference. The Hall of Fame point guard also thought that “JB” was the deserving ECF MVP for Brown’s two-way play.
When asked by SiriusXM NBA Radio to clarify his comments, the legendary playmaker doubled down on his stance:
“My comment about Jaylen Brown was from watching tape and watching Game 1. Again, he was the best player. … Everybody thought it was mental warfare [but] that wasn’t mental warfare. That was just my opinion.
“But if it was to be true then, damn, I didn’t mean to cause such a stir.”
In Game 1, Jaylen Brown had a 22-point, six-rebound, three-steal and three-block night against the Dallas Mavericks. Jason Kidd was likely impressed by what the shooting guard did on the defensive end. When Dallas cut the deficit from 29 to just eight points, Brown stood out. He had crucial blocks against Derrick Jones Jr. and Kyrie Irving. It was the same elite two-way play right from the start of the playoffs.
Jason Kidd might be worried about Boston’s 2-0 lead despite Tatum’s struggles
Heading into Game 3, Jayson Tatum is averaging 17.0 points on just 31.6% shooting, including 28.6% from behind the arc. Considering he averaged 30.3 PPG in the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers, the drop has been significant. Tatum, though, has been an impressive facilitator in the championship round as Jason Kidd has thrown the kitchen sink at him.
Despite Tatum’s poor shooting, the Boston Celtics are still up 2-0 in the series. The East champs might be without Kristaps Porzingis in Game 3, but Tatum might be due for a breakout big scoring game. If the All-NBA forward does that, Porzingis’ potential absence might not matter much.
Jaylen Brown has been playing well for Boston. Jason Kidd has to be worried Jayson Tatum will find his groove in Dallas. The Mavericks defense has been great on Tatum but “JT” has also missed wide-open shots. It will be interesting to see how Kidd’s defensive plan will hold up as the series shifts to Dallas.