Mavericks: How Jason Kidd will unlock All-Star form of Kristaps Porzingis

The Dallas Mavericks traded for Kristaps Porzingis in 2019 because they viewed him as the perfect complement to Luka Doncic. The Unicorn was a floor-spacing big man that could score 20 points per game and protect the rim. The 2018 All-Star was recovering from a torn ACL, but acquiring the 23-year-old had Dallas dreaming of the dynamic duo that took the NBA by storm for the next decade.

Things have not gone as planned so far. KP has struggled with injuries and to adapt his game to playing off Luka. There have been fewer mid-range jumpers, which have improved his shooting efficiency. Porzingis shot career-high percentages across the board in a “down” 2020-2021 season. Yes, the Unicorn struggled in the playoffs, but the matchup was partially to blame.

Their second straight first-round playoff exit caused upheaval in the Mavs’ leadership. Lead executive Donnie Nelson and head coach Rick Carlisle departed with Nico Harrison and Jason Kidd replacing them. The Hall of Fame point guard has a coaching reputation of unlocking his star players. Can Kidd get Porzingis back to his All-Star form?

How Jason Kidd can unlock Dallas Mavericks star Kristaps Porzingis

Kidd talked about his excitement to coach Porzingis during his introductory press conference. He noted that entering the offseason healthy was massive, and KP has been in the gym working hard with coach Kidd already.

New general manager and president of basketball operations Nico Harrison shared his thoughts on how Kidd will get the best out of KP.

Kidd is going to empower both Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. He will instill plenty of confidence in both players, but here are five specific ways where Jason Kidd will help KP return to his All-Star form.

Next: No. 5

How Dallas Maverick coach Jason Kidd will unlock Kristaps Porzingis: 5. Play him at the five

The first important decision lies in where Porzingis plays his minutes. During his three healthy seasons with the Knicks, KP played the majority of his minutes at the four next to another big man. Since joining the Mavericks, he has seen 99 percent of his minutes at the five, per Basketball-Reference.

Those numbers may not tell the entire story because Porzingis has played the four with Dwight Powell as the five for stretches in Dallas. Differentiating the positions can be tough, especially since the Unicorn is often the tallest player on the court.

The Mavs offseason additions should tip their hand on where they plan on using KP. Dallas added Reggie Bullock and Sterling Brown. Two wings with length and athleticism. They are likely going to play small with Dorian Finney-Smith starting at the four and Porzingis as their center.

The five is the Unicorn’s best position. He struggles to defend on the perimeter, can maximize his floor spacing, and will be more involved in the offense as the center. KP also gets to protect the rim when playing down low. Expect Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd to play Kristaps Porzingis the majority of his minutes at the five and continually put him in positions to succeed.

Next: No. 4

How Dallas Maverick coach Jason Kidd will unlock Kristaps Porzingis: 4. Focus on defense

Kidd has already discussed on several occasions how the Mavs will be focused on improving on the defensive end. They had the best offense in the league in 2020 but finished 18th in defensive rating. Dallas traded Seth Curry for Josh Richardson because they thought it would improve their defense. Instead, they slipped to 21st as the swap did not work out as planned.

Porzingis struggled on the defensive end of the floor after missing the first nine games recovering from meniscus surgery last season. His rebounds and blocks declined as Dallas finished with a 115.3 defensive rating when KP was on the floor. Only the Sacramento Kings had a worse defensive rating for the season.

Coach Jason Kidd is going to emphasize defense, but also put Kristaps Porzingis in a place where he can shine. The Hall of Famer will give KP the freedom to protect the rim and dominate the paint. He is going to empower the 7’3 big man to stand out on the defensive end and be the Mavericks anchor.

If Kristaps Porzingis is fully healthy, his defensive numbers should improve significantly under new head coach Jason Kidd and his staff. Playing the five and putting him in positions to succeed will give KP a massive boost on this end of the floor.

Next: No. 3

How Dallas Maverick coach Jason Kidd will unlock Kristaps Porzingis: 3. Moving off the ball

Coming to Dallas was an adjustment for Porzingis. He was out of the New York limelight for the first time in his NBA career, but the biggest change was in how the Unicorn played. Coach Rick Carlisle convinced him to shoot more threes and attack the rim. The mid-range jumpers disappeared as did the post-ups. KP became a lethal spot-up shooter.

The adjustments helped Porzingis improve his shooting efficiency, but that did not maximize his talents. Coach Kidd will be looking to accomplish the second goal.

The first addition from the Hall of Fame point guard will be more movement without the ball. There was a lot of spotting up beyond the arc under Carlisle, but next season there will be more plays like this one.

It is a simple play that the Mavericks did not exploit enough last season. Tim Hardaway Jr. screens for KP at the top of the arc and the result is a wide-open dunk. There will also be more actions like this.

Kidd is not going to try to turn Kristaps Porzingis into J.J. Redick, but he will have him moving without the ball to create open looks. The Unicorn will both set screens and be freed by them as Dallas looks to get more flow into their offense.

Next: No. 2

How Dallas Maverick coach Jason Kidd will unlock Kristaps Porzingis: 2. Easy buckets

Kristaps Porzingis shot 68.3 percent from within five feet of the basket last season, which was significantly above the league average of 62.0 percent. His 4.3 attempts per game ranked 94th in the league, though. The Mavs did not create enough easy buckets like this one for KP last season.

Here Luka Doncic drives into the paint and Porzingis cuts from the weak side. Siakam falls asleep and the result is an easy deuce. The Mavericks must find a way to manufacture more easy buckets for KP. He cannot consistently create his own shots, but the Unicorn is a smart and opportunistic scorer. Dallas needs to find ways to get him free near the rim.

Expect coach Jason Kidd to try to get Porzingis open beyond the arc too. The Hall of Famer realizes that KP spacing the floor makes the Mavs an elite offense. He will try to improve the mix of paint attacks and threes. Expect a few more mid-range jumpers from the Unicorn too as Kidd empowers his star player to score and put up massive numbers.

There will be a few new wrinkles added to try to get Kristaps Porzingis free for dunks.

Next: No. 1

How Dallas Maverick coach Jason Kidd will unlock Kristaps Porzingis: 1. Roll man

Coach Kidd is going to get Porzingis more involved in the offense. The Unicorn talked on multiple occasions about preferring to play the five in Rick Carlisle’s offense because he was the primary screen setter in the Luka Doncic pick and rolls. Kidd is going to make that reality. Expect him to encourage KP to roll to the basket more too. The 7’3 big man is a dangerous finish inside, but he does not always attack down low.

The Doncic and Porzingis pick and roll can be a thing of beauty. Number 77 commands so much defensive attention that teams cannot stop both players. Here the result is an easy dunk against the Bulls because KP rolls hard to the rim.

Coach Kidd will get KP more involved in the offense and convince him to roll to the rim more. Confidence is going to be massive for Porzingis. The Hall of Fame point guard will assure the Unicorn that he is a star. Mavs fans saw the best version of KP inside the bubble when he averaged 30.5 points and 9.5 rebounds on 47.6 percent shooting the field. Kidd wants to unlock that Unicorn next season as he finds ways to showcase Porzingis.

Dallas Mavericks will see the best version of Kristaps Porzingis in the 2021-2022 season under Jason Kidd. If he stays healthy, a second All-Star selection could be on the way for the Unicorn. That is how much will improve with Kidd leading from the bench, so do not miss it.