It was just a glimpse of the season-to-come, but anyone watching No. 2 on Tuesday night had to be pleased with what they saw.
Jason led Dallas to a 108-82 home victory over the Washington Wizards, piling up a team-high seven assists, and from the get go, it was clear that Rick Carlisle’s Mavericks were very different from the squad fielded by his predecessor. As the Star-Telegram reported:
“The real spotlight ended up belonging to Carlisle and his reportedly unbridled offense…Unlike last season, there would be times when point guard Jason Kidd would actually run the Mavericks offense without having to look back to the bench for detailed instructions.”
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| A new day dawning (Getty Images). |
Kidd, who grabbed five rebounds and went 2-for-4 beyond the arc in just under 24 minutes, is flourishing under Carlisle’s more motion-oriented offense. As Kidd said:
“The key is to move even when you don’t have the ball, it’s different than what we did in the past. It’s going to benefit us with the pieces to the puzzle we do have if guys move without the ball.”
J-Kidd did just that Tuesday night, showing his ability to work with or without the ball in his hands.
“True, it was only an NBA exhibition game, a bare speck on the long, dusty road to the postseason. But as first impressions go, the Mavericks seemed…well…more free…happier.”
NEXT UP
Kidd and the Mavs continue preseason play in Chicago, Thursday, Oct 9th, at 7:30pm.
RELATED ARTICLES
New Dallas Mavericks coach lets Jason Kidd and cohorts do their thing (Star-Telegram, Oct 8th, 2008)
http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/story/958647.html
Standing still not an option for Dallas Mavericks (Star-Telegram, Oct 7th, 2008)
http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/story/956856.html