Kidd drops uncomfortably blunt take on Mavericks' newly signed 7-footer

The Dallas Mavericks didn't wait for the trade deadline to make their first big roster move of the season. Instead, they picked up a 7-foot big man from the G League's South Bay Lakers.

Kylor Kelley made his NBA debut in a blowout win against the Washington Wizards. His first point came from the free throw line, with much delight to the home crowd.

Kelley's game looks NBA-ready in many ways, but he most importantly provides depth at the center position which is badly needed right now for Dallas. As things stand now, Kelley and Daniel Gafford are the only two healthy centers on the roster, and it was clear they needed another big when Maxi Kleber went down with a foot injury on Saturday.

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd spoke with the media before Kelley's debut, and was pretty blunt when asked about how his impact would be felt. He also gave him some praise after the game which led to some hope among Mavs fans.

Kidd keeps it blunt but optimistic about Kelley's arrival

It was just over 24 hours before Dallas played the Wizards when Kelley realized that he was going to suit up in an NBA game for the first time. Kidd gave as straightforward of a response as anyone can give when asked about what Kelley will bring and talking about the extremely thin big man depth.

"There's not a lot to choose from so that's why we chose him," Kidd said in regard to Kelley's game.

This response was a bit strange considering that Kelley is brand new to the team and hadn't even played yet. Rather than complimenting his new big man's game or giving the media a better look into why he fits Dallas' scheme, he just said that he played center and that's where their hole was. This type of tone by Kidd just shows the urgency that was needed in at the big man position. Kelley's quick turnaround from Southern California to Dallas shows just how fast his world changed too.

After the devastating injury to Dereck Lively II, it seemed like the Mavericks would need guys to step up on the active roster. Following Kleber's foot injury against the Boston Celtics, it seemed like a never-ending nightmare continuing to haunt the Mavs, and the organization had no choice but to dip into the G League, not worrying about the trade deadline just yet.

Kelley's frame provides a much-needed solution to a hole that needed to be filled to address size. Lively II on the defensive end provides great vertical ability, and Kelley has some potential to fill that gap with just his 7-foot frame alone.

While Kidd was blunt and straightforward before Kelley's debut, he also gave his young big man some praise on tools that Kidd would like to see more of going forward.

"He was vocal. For someone just to get here, his voice could be heard on the floor and that's a great sign for the newcomer," Kidd speaking on Kelley's NBA debut.

One of the more underrated skills in basketball is communication. Kelley will need to do plenty of it as someone who will be calling on teammates during screen attempts from the other team.

Kelley has the tools and size needed to play in the big league. As to how much he'll play is still in question, but there's no doubt the Mavs needed to desperately search for a big man quickly, and Kelley is who will be filling that void for now.