Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd sees big things coming for his Euro duo of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. In fact, he went as far as to saying that KP will not only have a bounce-back year but also make the All-Star team in 2021-22.
When it was pointed out to Kidd that this is the first time that Porzingis will be entering a season healthy and not needing a rehab ever since his All-Star season in 2017-18, the new Mavs coach was quick to hype the Latvian big man. He expressed his belief that the 26-year-old is more than capable of playing at an elite level–like he used to when he was dominating with the New York Knicks before his ACL injury.
“If that’s the history, then we’ll sign up and take that. I think he has the skill-set to be an All-Star. He is an All-Star in this league. Sometimes we judge people unfairly because of injuries or other things that are going on, and we expect them to be robots or be All-Stars every year,” Kidd said of Porzingis, per Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News.
“Sometimes we don’t reach that bar, but I think he’s going to be an All-Star this year, and if he’s not, he’s going to be right there on the cusp of being an All-Star.”
Jason Kidd's prediction might be a bold take for some, especially considering the kind of campaign Kristaps Porzingis had in 2020-21. However, it is not without merit.
Aside from finally being healthy, Porzingis also seems to be more comfortable now with the Mavs. His relationship with Luka Doncic also appears to improve after their much-talked about lack of chemistry in the past.
In their preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, Porzingis stepped up and was huge for the Mavs as they took the 122-114 win. KP finished with 15 points on top of five rebounds and four assists.
While it will be difficult for Porzingis to make the All-Star team given the abundance of talent in the West, it is not wrong to assume he'll at least be one of the candidates to make it.
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