As key players trickle back to action for the Mavericks, coach Jason Kidd has been encouraged with the way replacements have stepped up their game in the absence of others.
But it’s a complicated process when you have backup players who are producing better and more often than they normally would be getting the chance to.
Kidd knows there’s never any certainty about who will be available from game to game in a long NBA season. Luka Dončić returned to action Sunday night against Minnesota and that meant about 38 minutes that were going to backups were scooped up again by the superstar.
And how the pieces that are available will fit is also a part of the puzzle.
“Just part of the business. Injuries are part of the game,” he said. “You got to be a pro. Everybody goes through it at some point. Hopefully, this is the time we go through it and we can get healthy here mid-month or at the end of January going into February.
“But again, there’s no guarantees with that, either. So you just have to play the guys (available). Guys are playing extremely hard. Most of them are playing out of position, but they’re taking full advantage of it.”
The question, Kidd said, is whether they can do so when roles return closer to normal. That’s when good teams show they truly are ready to take a seat in the upper crust of the league.
And until the Mavericks find out about that, it will be tough to gauge just where these Mavericks are.
“We’re not even at the halfway point,” he said. “Let’s not jump the gun here. Let’s run this marathon together understanding that the true test will be when we are whole, can everyone play their role at a high level.
“It’s easy to play your role when guys are out because you have no other options. When you have options, can you play your role? Can you sacrifice? That’s what makes a championship team. So once we get there, I can give you a better answer to that question (of this team’s identity).”
For now, it was just nice to have Kyrie Irving and Dončić back in the starting lineup together.
Against Minnesota, Grant Williams, Markieff Morris and Richaun Holmes returned to the active roster, which helped the Mavericks’ depth in the front court against the supersized Timberwolves.
But Dante Exum and Dereck Lively II, 40 percent of the Mavericks’ preferred starting lineup, remained out.
Stepping up: Speaking of players who have gotten an opportunity lately and taken advantage, 21-year-old Jaden Hardy had his best game as a pro on Friday with 19 points, nine rebounds and nine assists against Portland.
It wasn’t so much the scoring that got everybody’s attention. Hardy knows how to put the ball in the bucket. But the other numbers both were career bests.
“Being able to facilitate, especially on the break with the pace we played the other night, and not just look to score, but set up a teammate – I thought he did an incredible job there,” Kidd said. “He didn’t force anything. And the rebounding was a big part of his success in a category we sometimes struggle in.”
Briefly: Minnesota coach Chris Finch had an honest appraisal of Wolves’ point guard Mike Conley when he was asked about the veteran’s terrific assist-to-turnover ratio: “First of all, thankfully he doesn’t turn it over,” Finch said, “because everyone else does.” . . . As for the Wolves overall, they are 27th overall in the NBA in turnovers at 15.4 per game. “Our goal is around a dozen,” Finch said. “But we’ve not gotten anywhere near that in the last couple weeks. But if we’re under 15 with the way we play, we can survive that.” . . . The Mavericks’ marathon seven-game home stand continues Tuesday against the Memphis Grizzlies, who have gotten Ja Morant back after he served his 25-game suspension . . . The Mavericks have had 10 quarters this season in which they have topped 40 points, tied for the NBA league.
X: @ESefko
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