Mavs Coach Kidd Gives Update On Porzingis

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd recently traveled to Latvia to visit with Kristaps Porzingis as he ramps up for the 2021-22 NBA season.

DALLAS - After coming up empty in their pursuit of a secondary scorer to pair with Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks will once again rely strongly on Kristaps Porzingis. 

The 2021-22 season could be a pivotal factor in deciding Porzingis' future with the Mavericks. He had a respectable regular season, but his performance declined against a bad matchup in the LA Clippers.

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Perhaps a head coaching change can help spark a bounce-back season from Porzingis. There has been a real effort from new Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd to relate to Porzingis and public comments have expressed confidence in his expected impact for the team. 

When talking with Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News, Kidd explained why he wanted to go to Porzingis' native country of Latvia and how the experience went. 

“I wanted to see where he lived, that is home for him,” Kidd said. “Beautiful place.

“We always talk about family. Sometimes we need to show our care-factor. I care. I wanted to let him know that I care.

“I know that he’s healthy. I know he’s excited. And then I just wanted to talk to him about things basketball-wise as well as off the court. We always talk about basketball, but I wanted to see where he was off the court.

“He’s in a great place.”

Sometimes a fresh start can go a long way for a player. Whether it involves being traded to a new team, or simply an overhaul in the coaching department. Regardless, staying healthy will be a necessity. 

There are particular area of Porzingis' skill-set that he must refine based on his limitations in the first-round playoff series against the LA Clippers. 

Being able to play within the gaps and against switches were areas where he struggled against the Clippers and will be issues going forward if they are not addressed in his development.

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