Jason Kidd playing mind games with Jayson Tatum, Celtics ahead of Game 2

The Dallas Mavericks are looking to bounce back from a blowout loss against the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals and their head coach, Jason Kidd, is looking for any edge that he can give to his team.

As Noa Dalzell of SB Nation noted on X, Kidd told reporters, "Jaylen [Brown is the Celtics] best player".

This comes after the Celtics with Brown being a leading factor in the Game 1 win as the wing ended up with 22 points, six rebounds, three steals, three blocks, and two assists on 58% shooting from the floor. Yes, Kristaps Porzingis' sixth-man performance was arguably a bigger individual reason for the win than Brown's showing. Still, Brown's impact was keenly felt.

Additionally, Jayson Tatum played horribly in Game 1 and was supposedly the top option on the Celtics going into this series. The star ended up with only 16 points on a terrible 37 percent shooting from the floor. Yes, Tatum did land 12 rebounds and register five assists in the opening game but it was clear that Brown and others were picking up the slack that Tatum couldn't provide.

Tatum and Brown have been teammates since Tatum's rookie year in 2017 with the highlight of their career so far coming when both were able to make the Finals in 2022. Brown used to be a considered veteran who could be a true top-10 player in the league, but the wing's potential has faded in recent years.

Jason Kidd plays mind games with Celtics after subtle dig at Jayson Tatum

Even though Jason Kidd tried to create a divide between the two wings, it's clear that this has likely failed. As Justin Turpin of WEEI notes, Tatum told reporters he had "no reaction" to Kidd's comments and the Celtics "wouldn't be here if we didn't have JB on our team".

To be fair, Kidd should have likely been more focused on changing the Mavericks' screen offense to better suit the Celtics' opposing defense. The franchise will also need a way better performance from Kyrie Irving, who will likely need to play like the superstar that he is. Finally, Dallas will need better defense from their big men as they were unable to stop Kristaps Porzingis in Game 1.

Even though it seems like this tactic seems likely to fail, this was likely worth trying for Jason Kidd. At the very least, the former NBA veteran is trying to destroy the opposing team's chemistry.