Jason Kidd reflects on tough loss to Memphis Grizzlies on the road - "I think Dillon does that no matter who the opponent is"
Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd addressed the situation with Dillon Brooks' trash talk and the effect it had on their performance. Coming off the loss to the Grizzlies, Kidd had to address his team's other shortcomings as well.
The Dallas Mavericks took on the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night, and the matchup had a bit of spice added to it ahead of the game.
Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks made some interesting comments prior to the game against the Mavericks. The forward called out Mavs stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Brooks has earned a fair bit of infamy as of late. After his war of words with Draymond Green, the Grizzlies forward has only built upon his reputation as a trash talker.
Considering that neither Doncic nor Irving played against Memphis, the Mavs were significantly shorthanded. Keeping Brooks' comments in mind, the loss may sting even more.
Jason Kidd spoke about the takeaways from the loss against the Memphis Grizzlies. When specifically addressing the trash talk from Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks and the impact it had on the team, Jason Kidd said:
"I think Dillon does that no matter who the opponent is. Unfortunately, those two guys didn't play tonight. I think the guys just went out there and played their game and we put ourselves in a position to win a game on the road. But you know, you've got to take care of the ball and gotta get stops and those are the two things that we just didn't do late."
Jason Kidd speaks on the 112-108 loss to the Grizzlies and the 'lessons learned' in tonight's game.
#MFFL | @dallasmavs on @BallySportsSW 📺 https://t.co/80OWAGG3xV
Brooks certainly did put the pressure on the Mavericks on Saturday. However, Jason Kidd mentioned that the real damage was done by Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane and David Rody off the bench.
Bane and Roddy combined for 49 points to help Memphis overcome Dallas in the 112-108 result.
Dallas saw impressive contributions from Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green and Jalen Hardy. However, with underwhelming performances from the rest of the roster, Mavericks had a tough time making up for the absences of their superstars.
Jason Kidd's Dallas Mavericks could be on the verge of imploding
Ahead of the trade deadline, the Dallas Mavericks looked like one of the toughest teams to beat in the NBA. Led by a talented superstar in Luka Doncic, the Mavs managed to pair Doncic with another superstar in Kyrie Irving.
Although the expectations have been immense, the results have been rather underwhelming. Since Irving's arrival, the Mavericks have only won five games out of 13.
Having fallen from the playoff picture into the play-in tournament, the Mavericks appear to be on the verge of imploding. While also factoring in the apparent injuries sustained by both Doncic and Irving, Dallas have a serious crisis on their hands.
Irving was ruled out of the game against Memphis due to soreness in his right foot. While this could be short-term, Dallas will be more concerned about Doncic's situation.
Doncic has been struggling with left thigh issues for a while. Although the MRI results suggested that there was no damage, the Dallas Mavericks will monitor the situation closely.