If the Dallas Mavericks are going to reach the heights they believe that they can, they are going to have to have their two best player, Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, on the same page. At times last NBA season, that reportedly wasn’t the case.
There were reports that Porzingis was unhappy with his role on the Mavericks. He felt like he was an afterthought for the franchise compared to Doncic instead of being the co-star. Porzingis did not like that Doncic dominated the ball and spotlight and would deliver veiled shots at his teammate in post-game comments.
The feeling was probably mutual, especially after the performance that Porzingis had during this year’s postseason. He barely looked like a rotation player, let alone a co-star, for the Mavericks.
There were plenty of rumors involving Porzingis heading back to the February deadline. They reportedly approached the Golden State Warriors about a trade centered around Porzingis and Kelly Oubre Jr. Mark Cuban denied those rumors, but usually, when there is smoke there is fire.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: NBA Scout Reveals Biggest X-Factor For Dallas Mavericks This Season
Finding a role for Porzingis is something that new head coach Jason Kidd will be tasked with. Getting him on track would help take the Mavericks to another level to help them contend in the Western Conference.
According to Kidd, there wasn’t as much of a rift as believed between his two All-Star players.
It is interesting to hear Kidd say that other issues persisted that were kept behind closed doors. There was some friction between Donnie Nelson, Rick Carlisle, and other people in the front office, which is part of the reason both of them moved on this past offseason.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Mavericks’ Jason Kidd Wants Luka Doncic To Trust His Teammates More
Regardless of what else is going on behind the scenes, Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis must get going. Doncic can only do so much by himself and will need Porzingis, who is paid like a star, to perform like one consistently so they win some games.
