Dallas coach Jason Kidd calls Jaylen Brown - not Jayson Tatum - Boston's best player

BOSTON – His intentions unclear, Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd tossed accelerant into the NBA Finals fire by calling Jaylen Brown Boston’s best player.

If the first time Kidd said it didn’t register, he said it again.

"Well, Jaylen's their best player," Kidd said Saturday.

It got a reaction immediately from reporters in the room, and Kidd continued: "Just looking at what he does defensively. He picked up Luka (Doncic) full court. He got to the free throw line. He did everything, and that's what your best player does. Just understanding he plays both sides defensively and offensively at a high rate, and he's been doing that the whole playoffs."

Does Kidd really believe that Brown is Boston’s best player – and not Jayson Tatum? Is Kidd trying to lull Brown into complacency? Is Kidd trying to get inside the head of Tatum who had 16 points on 6-for-16 shooting, 11 rebounds, five assists and six turnovers in the Celtics’ 107-89 victory in Game 1 Thursday? Brown had 22 points, six rebounds, three steals and three blocks in Game 1.

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What point was Kidd trying to make? Was it wise for him to inflame the situation?

Kidd made his comments ahead of Game 2 Sunday (8 p.m. ET, ABC) and before the Celtics met with the media, so Brown, Tatum and Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla had an opportunity to address Kidd’s declaration. For the record, Tatum is recognized widely as Boston's best player − he has four All-NBA selections, including first-team in 2022-23 and 2023-24, and Brown has just one (second team in 2022-23).

The Celtics were not interested in getting involved.

“I don't have no reaction,” Brown said, adding, “It’s a team game. We're trying to focus on that, and, everybody has their own opinions."

Said Tatum: “No reaction. This is a team sport, right. We understand that. We wouldn't be here if we didn't have JB on our team, and we can say that for a lot of guys, right. We have all played a part in getting to where we're at, and we understand that people try to drive a wedge between us. I guess it's a smart thing to do or try to do.

“We've been in this position for many of years of guys trying to divide us and say that one of us should be traded or one is better than the other. So it's not our first time at rodeo.”

Mazzulla wasn’t interested in confronting Kidd’s comments either.

“Just need to focus on the truth,” Mazzulla said. “At the end of the day, nobody knows because they are not in the locker room. And so I think as long as we focus on the truth, we focus on the things that we talk about every day, we focus on the relationships that we build with each other, we focus on just that stuff.”

Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt