Mavs Head Coach Jason Kidd Gives Celtics Ultimate Compliment

Although the Dallas Mavericks began the season with an abysmal defensive ranking, the trade deadline rejuvenated roster experienced a facelift by the 2023-24 season's end. Dallas finished with the best defensive rating in the last 15 games of the regular season. However, the Boston Celtics stopped such momentum in the 2024 NBA Finals. This week, Jason Kidd commented on a possible finals rematch.

During appearances on an NBC podcast, Dubs Talks, and a Golden State Warriors podcast, Kidd credited the Celtics as a championship contender with staying power.

"They are built to compete for another one. You have to go through Boston. You have to beat the defending champs. I'm happy they're in the East," Kidd said .

Kidd also said the Western Conference is deep, respectfully implying that it provides another challenge for the Mavericks to repeat their appearance in the NBA Finals.

However, referencing the Western Conference offseason, not many teams improved significantly. Furthermore, a few teams worsened their 2024-25 season championship odds.

While the Oklahoma City Thunder improved by strengthening their frontcourt depth by signing Isaiah Hartenstein, Dallas' other two 2024 playoff opponents suffered losses in their roster.

Related: Jason Kidd Speaks on Experience Gained From Mavs' 2024 NBA Finals Failure

Firstly, the Los Angeles Clippers lost Paul George to the Philadelphia 76ers, which leaves a massive void for a player who can play both sides of the ball. While Kawhi Leonard is the better player, the 2019 NBA champion hasn't finished a playoff campaign healthy since 2020.

Secondly, although the Minnesota Timberwolves will theoretically improve due to Anthony Edwards' superstar influence, Rudy Gobert could regress following a less-than-stellar Olympic showing. Piling on Minnesota's roster issues, it lost a key role player in Kyle Anderson.

The Western Conference isn't a cakewalk, but the Mavericks did more to improve than their rivals and playoff counterparts.