SACRAMENTO – While the similarities are striking, it’s a bit unfair to compare these Mavericks with the group that reached the conference finals in 2022.
This group has yet to accomplish anything, in the big scope of things.
The team two years ago was greater than the sum of its parts. It was well-coached and had a team that played with a singular purpose. And it won a lot of playoff games.
“You can’t disrespect that team from two years ago,” coach Jason Kidd said. “They were pretty good. We had some talented players. We were playing as a team at a high level. Everyone was playing their role.”
He then mentioned Theo Pinson, who essentially was the last man on the bench, but played his role as morale booster so well that the NBA had to make a new rule after Pinson would stand on the sideline (or just inbounds) and ask for the ball from the opponent, frequently when he was wearing colors similar to the opponent’s jersey.
That’s the kind of chemistry that team had.
But this year’s team has assets that the 2022 Mavericks did not possess. And it also hit a nice run after a trade-deadline move. In 2022, it was Spencer Dinwiddie’s arrival that helped a strong finish to the season.
This year, it’s been Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington.
“That was a good team,” Kidd said. “This team is bigger. This team is a little more athletic. We are playing well at the right time. And we want to continue to keep playing well.
“Win or lose, you learn from both. And you move on to the next one. But this (time of the season) is a great test for us and we’re up for the challenge.”
View from afar: Sacramento coach Mike Brown said the Mavericks have a considerably different look since their trades for Gafford and Washington at the Feb. 8 deadline.
“They’re bigger,” Brown said. “You’re playing Gafford and (Dereck) Lively. A lot bigger combination at that center spot. Both those guys are vertical threats. So they can continue to play the same way.
“P.J. is a big guy and probably more athletic than they had at that power forward spot before. Making that trade was definitely a step in the right direction. And a lot of it comes down to (being) bigger, more athletic, longer and two pretty good basketball players that fit the way they want to play.”
The Kings, by the way, suffered a heavy blow on Friday with the news that shooting guard Kevin Huerter would have surgery to repair a torn labrum and will likely be out the rest of the season and the playoffs.
“He’s going to be around as much as he can,” Brown said. “He’s going to stay engaged and help as much as he can. Hopefully everything goes smoothly. He’s definitely going to be missed.”
Brown said that second-year guard Keon Ellis will continue to start in Huerter’s absence.
Status update: The Mavericks on Tuesday passed the 20-game mark since trading for Gafford and Washington.
Kidd said the change in the team has been dramatic, but not so much on the court as it is off the court.
“The trust, the chemistry you can hear it from the players before or after the game,” Kidd said. “The energy is high, the trust is high with one another.
“It’s all about winning. And learning each time we take the floor from one another. And we’re trying to have fun with it. When we go on the floor, our goal is to try to win that one possession, win that one minute and build from there.”
A big part of the camaraderie has been Lively’s selfless transition to the bench, where he has been just as productive as he was as a starter.
“You look at Lively’s season, it’s been an incredible rookie season,” Kidd said. “One, you talk about being unselfish and talk about being a team player, that’s who Lively is. It’s about the team, about helping the team. He is a coach’s dream. He is a teammates’ dream because he’s all about the team and it’s not about himself.”
X: @ESefko
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