Jason Kidd gives reluctant Luka Doncic assessment through gritted teeth
Doncic recorded a triple-double in the Los Angeles Lakers' victory over the Dallas Mavericks in his first appearance against his former team.
Luka Doncic helped the Los Angeles Lakers to a 107-99 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, the first time he had played against his former team since his shock trade to California at the start of February.
Doncic unhappy despite triple-double
The experience of going up against his ex-teammates was clearly a draining one for the Slovenian, who revealed his unhappiness with his overall performance in a postgame interview on the TNT Postgame Show. That despite registering a triple-double (19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists), helping him join Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in an exclusive Lakers club.
“I couldn’t make nothing today” and “I tried some different stuff, it didn’t work in this game” were two of the phrases Doncic used to describe his display.
Nevertheless, the 25-year-old came up with some decisive moments throughout the game, much to the frustration of Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, who may well still be reeling from having a generational talent taken away from him by General Manager Nico Harrison.
Jason Kidd assesses Doncic performance in Lakers vs Mavs “revenge” game
Speaking after the game, a straight-faced Kidd admitted that, while not everything Doncic tried came off, he is like “no other player” when it comes to making an impact.
“I thought he picked his spots. He was able to find his teammates, he was Luka. He drove it, made plays, and also finished. He probably had some looks that normally goes down for him but he fills up the stat sheet like no other player. I think he had a triple-double. Again, he could find his teammates and his teammates delivered tonight”.
Time will obviously tell whether Harrison made the right call in prioritizing a stronger defense, and Kidd now has to find a way to make the transition without one of the league’s most lethal point-scorers.
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