Kidd is picking it up with the Mavericks

The Lakers have already been there, done that against the new-look Phoenix Suns.

Now they get the retooled Dallas Mavericks.

Jason Kidd arrives at Staples Center for the first time with Dallas, trying to get more comfortable with his new team after an unremarkable outing as recently as Thursday against San Antonio.

Kidd had been piling up plenty of assists with Dallas but was reluctant to shoot, part of the reason he was benched for the final 34 seconds in the Mavericks’ 97-94 loss to the Spurs.

Kidd got the message in Dallas’ 115-106 victory Friday over Sacramento. He had a season-high 21 points on nine-for-18 shooting. He also had 11 rebounds and nine assists, his most well-rounded effort in six games with the Mavericks, who are 4-2 with him in the lineup.

When talk of the trade first surfaced last month, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson spoke highly of Devin Harris, the up-and-coming point guard who was sent by the Mavericks to New Jersey as part of the trade.

Jackson now seems to be a little more approving of the trade from the Mavericks’ perspective.

“I like what they’re doing,” he said. “It looks like they’re trying to run a little bit more. He’s still feeling out how to involve his teammates. It’s an effective move for them because they’ve got a decision maker at the end of the game.”

The Lakers’ players have also noticed.

“They’ve added a Hall of Fame player to their team, so you know they’re going to be better,” forward Lamar Odom said. “We just have to take the ball out of his hands as much as possible and make him work defensively as well.”

The Mavericks beat the Lakers, 112-105, in January, although that game can pretty much be discarded. After all, Kwame Brown had 10 points for the Lakers and Harris had 18 for Dallas.

But the Lakers might be looking at a second consecutive loss if they don’t improve a leaky defense that allowed Portland to score a season-high 119 points Friday.

“We’ve got to do a lot better job on defense,” forward Luke Walton said. “Our pick-and-roll defense was terrible against Portland. They were getting everything they wanted. With Kidd and Dirk [Nowitzki] and Jason Terry, [Dallas] can do all that same stuff, so we’ve got to fix that.”

Cognizant that any loss could be costly in the Western Conference, the Lakers seemed resolute after their 10-game winning streak ended against Portland.

“I’d rather have a 20-game win streak,” Odom said. “You have to win as many as possible, especially with these teams playing so well in the West.”

Former Lakers guard Javaris Crittenton scored 22 points on nine-for-19 shooting in 34 minutes in Memphis’ 116-95 loss Friday to Houston.

Brown had three points in nine minutes for the Grizzlies.

TODAY

vs. Dallas, 12:30 p.m., Ch. 7

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- 570, 1330.

Records -- Lakers 41-18, Mavericks 39-20.

Record vs. Mavericks -- 0-1.

Update -- Dallas is tied with Utah for the league’s best home record but is only 14-17 on the road. Nowitzki is quietly putting together another well-rounded season, averaging 23.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game for the Mavericks.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com