Kidd isn't letting Luka Doncic off the hook, expects crucial change upon return

The Dallas Mavericks have now won seven of their last eight games, as they are 12-8 and the fifth seed in the Western Conference. This hot winning streak has come behind excellent play from P.J. Washington, Kyrie Irving, and several others, as they have had to step up in Luka Doncic's absence over the last five games.

Doncic is out with a wrist sprain that he suffered nearly two weeks ago against the New Orleans Pelicans, and it looks like his return is on the way. He was listed as doubtful for the Mavs' game against the Utah Jazz last night, and he has been ramping up his activity ahead of his on-court return.

With the Mavs playing so well without Doncic, head coach Jason Kidd is in charge of figuring out how to keep this trend of winning up once he returns.

Kidd wants Mavs to keep playing fast even once Doncic returns

This shouldn't be too hard of a challenge since Doncic is a top player in the NBA when fully healthy, and Kidd remains confident in Doncic regardless of the struggles that slowed him down early in the season.

"We've kind of done this before," Kidd said on November 29 about adjusting once Doncic returns. "Normally you take a step back to wait on him. We've gotta continue to keep pushing the pace. He'll find a way to make it work. We're excited to hopefully have him back shortly."

Over the last five games (without Doncic), Dallas is seventh in the NBA in pace with an offensive rating of 116.3. Their ability to play fast, push the ball in transition, move the ball around, and attack the defensive glass have all played huge parts in this, and Kidd wants this to continue.

They don't want to "wait" on Doncic. Kidd wants his team to continue to play fast, and he expects Doncic to be able to make this change.

From October 23 until November 16 (the first 13 games of the season in which Doncic played in all of them), the Mavs were 11th in the NBA in pace, and they had an offensive rating of 114.0 over those three weeks. Dallas had lost five of the last seven games before Doncic missed a game due to his knee contusion, and their slow pace was hurting them. Dallas naturally plays a bit slower with Doncic in the lineup due to his playstyle, but Kidd doesn't want to get complacent about what has helped them win so many games lately.

Kidd was emphatic about finding a way to play faster early on in the season and start games stronger, and although they have succeeded in making those changes, this trend must continue once Doncic returns. He seems to want Doncic to find a way to play the style that has helped them win all of these games lately, and he has proved that he can play fast when he is fully healthy.

Doncic's next chance to return to the floor is tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers on the road. If Doncic does not return in that game, he could return in the Mavs' final Group Stage NBA Cup game on Tuesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies at the American Airlines Center.