DALLAS – As great as Jason Kidd was, it took a kid getting off the bench to shift momentum in the Mavs’ favor in Tuesday night’s win over the Clippers.

Rookie Rodrigue Beaubois, whose stints on the floor have been rare recently, seized this opportunity when summoned by coach Rick Carlisle.

“We needed quickness, energy and scoring,” Carlisle said.

It took mere seconds for Beaubois to provide that, as he knocked down a corner 3-pointer on the first possession after finally removing his warm-ups late in the third quarter. He added a pretty floater soon thereafter for a personal 5-0 run that gave the Mavs the lead.

Dallas took the lead for good when Beaubois soared toward the rafters on the opening possession of the fourth quarter, snagging a backdoor lob from Kidd and throwing it down hard with two hands, igniting the AAC crowd and igniting his teammates with energy that sparked a 22-3 run.

“I never know when I’m going to get in, so I just have to be ready,” Beaubois said after scoring 10 points in 15 minutes. “It’s not easy. It’s difficult. But when I go on the court, I know I have to bring some energy.”

Beaubois has become a fan favorite despite racking up more than twice as many DNP-CDs as double-digit scoring games. It’s easy to become infatuated with the Mavs’ most dynamic athlete. The glimpses of his potential whet MFFLs’ appetite for more on the French import. DallasBasketball.com fans the flames with its Free Roddy B campaign.

But Beaubois continues to float in and out of Carlisle’s rotation … and it’s been mostly out since Jason Terry returned from facial surgery. Yet Carlisle constantly praises the 22-year-old’s progress.

“His all-around awareness and game continues to evolve,” Carlisle said. “He’s been best when he plays off the ball as a scorer besides Jason and even besides Barea at times. At the point position, he’s had good stretches and other times there’s a learning curve. I like him. I’m a fan. I’m a supporter.”

Key phrase, as far as the rotation is concerned: “Best when he plays off the ball.”

Right now, Carlisle sees Beaubois as an explosive option at shooting guard who is learning how to play point guard. The problem with that is there aren’t many available minutes at the 2 with Caron Butler and Terry sharing that job.

Right now, Carlisle clearly trusts JJ Barea more than Beaubois to be the backup point guard. With 11 games left, that isn’t likely to change before the playoffs, although Carlisle consistently says he could go with either player.

For now, Beaubois’ playing opportunities will probably continue to be few and far between. All the kid can do is continue to make the most out of them.