Luka Doncic is like a "young Picasso", says Jason Kidd

During Monday's Media Day at the American Airlines Center, Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said he thinks of guard Luka Doncic as a "young Picasso". At just 22 years old, Doncic is an accomplished, impressive, and versatile player. "He's someone who's very talented, loves to win, and understands how to play the game at a very high level," said Kidd. In his 199 career games, Doncic averaged 25.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.7 assists. He was the first-team all-NBA as well as the All-Star during the last two consecutive seasons. On top of all that, he led his home country of Slovenia on their first trip to the Olympic Games in Tokyo this year. They finished fourth.

The importance of playing as a team

The next analogy Kidd made was to Picasso utilizing all his paints. "I just want to remind Luka that he can rely on his teammates, and his teammates are going to be there to help him," he said. In other words, don't put all the pressure on yourself and remember that you win and lose as a team, and not an individual. This is something Doncic is working on - being a leader without taking on the responsibility of the entire team. “Obviously, I learned from the playoffs and from the Olympics on how to be a leader," Doncic said. "One thing I learned is I have to be more a vocal leader for the team.”

There is no question that Kidd and Doncic share an admiration for each other and the two working together is really a perfect pair. Kidd led the Mavs to the NBA title back in 2011 and Doncic is excited to be learning from someone who accomplished the same thing he hopes to accomplish, too. “It’s terrific for me to learn from a guy that was a champion here as a player, playing the same position as me,” Doncic said. Kidd's message to Doncic just goes to show his experience and admiration for Doncic, comparing him to one of the greatest painters of all time. "I'm very excited to have this opportunity to work with a young Picasso who’s paintings have been incredible up to this point and are only going to get better with time and age," Kidd said of Doncic.

Training camp begins today (Tuesday) and the quest for that championship begins, too.