Subscribe
Follow Us
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks were defeated by the Sacramento Kings on Monday night, losing by a final score of 122-98. Kyrie Irving exited the game in the first quarter with a knee injury. In the third quarter, Jaden Hardy endured an ankle injury and was also forced to exit the contest. It was a difficult night for the Mavs, but there was a bright spot. Kai Jones, who officially signed a two-way contract with Dallas before the game, played well and led the Mavs with 21 points.
Jones added eight rebounds in his debut with the team. His skill set seems to translate perfectly with the Mavericks' roster. Of course, playing alongside Irving will help him. However, Irving is now dealing with an injury and it remains to be seen when he will return.
Nevertheless, Jones turned in a quality performance. Following the game, Jones made a bold statement about the future of his NBA career.
“I think I can be a great NBA player, really,” Jones told reporters. “Because I can do all different coverages. I can blitz, I can switch, I can drop. I can block shots, really active on defense… I feel like I could have blocked a few more shots tonight (Jones had one block on Monday night)… And then on offense, I'm real versatile, efficient. I know my strengths and I'm really good at getting to them.
“So once I'm getting my screening angles right, I feel like I can be a really great NBA player. I feel really positive and certain about that… It's just about taking it one day at a time. Keeping my mind on the right things and being grateful.”
Jason Kidd reacts to Kai Jones' play vs. Kings
As mentioned, it was a difficult overall contest for the team. As a result, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd was primarily asked about the impact of losing Kyrie Irving to injury after the game. Kidd noted the challenges of all of the team's injuries at the moment, but he also expects his players to continue to play hard on the floor.
The Mavericks head coach was asked about Jones' play against the Kings as well.
Article Continues Below
“He was great,” Kidd said. “He was great, just got here… Both being able to score and run the floor, rebound for us in the 30 minutes that he played.”
Jones played over 33 minutes on Monday. Kidd was not shy about keeping him in the game. Given all of the team's injuries (Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, PJ Washington and Caleb Martin did not play in addition to Irving and Hardy suffering injuries in the game) the Mavs certainly needed Jones' minutes.
Dwight Powell started at center. He ended up only playing just over nine minutes, though. Jones found his footing early and earned Kidd's trust, leading to the Mavs head coach playing him over 33 minutes.
Mavericks trying to bounce back as season winds down
The Mavs will attempt to rebound on Wednesday against the Bucks in Milwaukee. Following Wednesday's affair, Dallas will return home for a Friday matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies and a Sunday contest against the Phoenix Suns.
The Mavericks are currently sitting in 10th place in the Western Conference standings with a 32-30 record. They need to get back on track soon as the season winds down. Perhaps Kai Jones can give them an added boost, but Kyrie Irving's injury timeline (once it is announced) will unquestionably play a crucial role in determining how the remainder of the NBA season goes in Dallas.
