Mavs Coach Has Controversial Take on Who Celtics' Best Player Is

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd believes Jayson Tatum is one of the best offensive players in the NBA, but by the Hall of Fame point guard turned head coach's metric, Tatum isn't the Boston Celtics' best player.

That title belongs to fellow All-Star Jaylen Brown. The Mavs' coach revealed his take after team practice on Saturday, highlighting Brown's two-way game as a strong defender and his offensive prowess.

"Well, Jaylen is their best player. Just looking at what he does defensively, he picked up Luka full-court. He got to the free-throw line. He did everything, and that is what your best player does. Just understanding he plays both sides, defense and offense, at a high rate. He has been doing that the whole playoffs."

- Jason Kidd on Jaylen Brown

Averaging 24.8 points on 54.3% shooting to go with his 6.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, Brown's playoff numbers have been elite throughout the postseason. The three-time All-Star hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, while his scoring and rebounding averages in the playoffs have spiked in contrast to his regular-season numbers (23.0 points, 5.3 rebounds).

"When you talk about the Eastern Conference MVP and it seems like he's continued to pick up where he left off. We just gotta be a little more physical with him and again, we gotta keep him off the free-throw line, and out of the paint. Because, again, he was finishing at a high rate or he was getting fouled, and getting to the free-throw line."

- Jason Kidd

Jaylen Brown, who approached the podium for his media availability, was relayed Kidd's comments. He didn't take the bait and said it is "a team game".

Tatum responded in a similar fashion when asked about his reaction to the comment before addressing the ongoing narrative that often surrounds Boston's All-Star duo.

"No reaction. This is a team sport. We understand that. We wouldn't be here if we didn't have J.B. on our team; you could say that about a lot of guys. We've all played a part in getting to where we're at. We understand that people try to drive a wedge between us. It's a smart thing to try to do but 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's better than the other. So, it's not our first time."

- Jayson Tatum

Brown led with a team-high 22 points, six rebounds, three steals, and three blocks in Game 1 of the Finals against the Mavs on Thursday. Tatum added 16 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists in the Celtics' 107-89 win in the series opener.

Game 2 is Sunday at TD Garden.

More Celtics news and rumors: