Kidd Praise For The Unknown Hero! Mavericks Coach Raves About Injury Replacement’s Incredible Performance

The Dallas Mavericks are struggling with injuries, especially to the frontcourt, but one overlooked player stepped up in a recent win over the San Antonio Spurs.

On Monday night, the Dallas Mavericks beat the San Antonio Spurs in a hard-fought back-and-forth game, winning 133-129. The eight-man rotation was led by Spencer Dinwiddie and Klay Thompson, who scored 28 and 26 points, but the victory was a well-rounded team effort.

The Mavericks have suffered more than their fair share of injuries recently, with both Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving likely to miss the rest of the season. Overlooked have been the injuries to Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, which, when added to Davis, mean the Mavericks don’t have a center in the traditional sense.

Against the Spurs, it was not an issue at all, as they won the rebounding battle 40-38. After the game, Jason Kidd sang the praises of an overlooked player.

Kessler Edwards has stepped up

After signing a two-way contract with the Mavericks this summer, Kessler Edwards was not expected to play a big role this season, if any role whatsoever. In his 35 games this season, he is averaging 3.6 points and 2.7 rebounds, and the 6-foot-8 forward is rarely expected to suit up as a starting center.

Against the Spurs, he answered the call, leading all players with 11 rebounds and scoring 22 points, both career highs.

“Kessler was incredible, made big shots, rebounded the ball for us, and he is playing the center position, so he’s doing a great job for us,” raved Kidd after the game.

“And then also just being able to play off of Klay and other guys when he rolls, and being able to finish.”

Not only did he set a career-high in rebounds and points, but it was also his second double-double of his career, with his only other one coming as a member of the Brooklyn Nets in 2021.

Edwards is starting to fit in with Dallas

As Kidd pointed out, Edwards is the ideal rim-runner for an offense that doesn’t really have an established point guard. The Mavericks started the year with Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, two of the best guards in the NBA, but now they have Dante Exum as their floor general, which is a clear downgrade.

However, Edwards is able to make the most of his opportunities.

Against the Spurs, he shot 7-9 from inside the paint and was able to slip screens. Of those seven made field goals, all but one of them was either the result of an assist or an offensive rebound, of which he had four.

In fact, he missed only one putback opportunity and routinely either tipped the ball back in, laid it in, drew a foul, or found the open man.

When Davis, Gafford, and Lively II are back in the roster, there is already a case to be made that Edwards can still receive minutes and should be able to leave an impact, at the very least as an energy guy for a struggling Mavericks team.