Thoughts on the Mavericks Letting Jason Kidd Go
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The Dallas Mavericks and Jason Kidd have parted ways. I don't know if this was truly a mutual decision, or if the new president of the team, the wonderful Masai Ujiri, wanted a change at the top of the team. Either way, Kidd is no longer the head coach.
This felt like it was coming the moment the Mavs hired Ujiri. Anytime a new GM gets hired, the whole coaching staff is usually in trouble. That's the way it has been and continues to be. When a new GM comes in, they are going to want to bring along their people and people they trust. That's why it is a little crazy that Nick Nurse was retained by the 76ers after they let Daryl Morey go. That was not the case in Dallas. It seemed like, from the moment Nico Harrison was let go, Kidd's time was not long for the Mavs. I thought he could have stuck around if they had a better year, but they were not very good and they "only" got the ninth pick in the upcoming draft.
This job opening should entice whomever the Mavs hire. I have read that they are targeting a few young assistants, and that makes perfect sense to me. The Mavs have the bones of a solid starting five. Cooper Flagg is a star. If he can stay on the floor he is going to be a perennial all star and an easy player to build around. Kyrie Irving is coming back next season, and that will be a major boost. While older, and a little off his rocker, Irving can still handle and shoot the hell out of the ball. He will give this team a true point guard and true floor general. Derrick Lively will return to the lineup fully healthy. He is a good, young rim runner and a solid defensive force. Daniel Gafford still has something left in the tank. Max Christie had an okay season last year. And they still have Khris Middleton and Klay Thompson, who could be used as trade chips. The Mavericks aren't great, but they aren't horrible either. This isn't like the situation in Sacramento or Memphis. This is a team that has a true budding superstar, a solid group of vets and a lottery pick in this year's draft. I believe that whomever they hire will be put in a solid situation.
I saw that the Mavs were targeting a Spurs and Timberwolves assistant. That makes sense to me. Those guys are young, have helped to coach young superstars and understand modern NBA offenses. I'd trend more towards the Spurs assistant simply due to how well the Spurs play defense. They made the right choice in giving Mitch Johnson the head coaching job last year after Popp left, and he seems to have hired the right guys to his staff. The Spurs look to be building another dynasty of sorts, and coaches are going to get poached left and right. That's the way of the world in the NBA right now. The Mavs should avoid really good coaches like Billy Donovan and Tom Thibodeau, and go young. Donovan and Thibodeau have more than proven themselves, but they're also old school and that may not mesh well with the Mavs current roster.
As for Kidd, I don't really know where he goes from here. He had gifted and great players in Dallas, but he also willed those teams to higher heights than I thought they could reach. He led them to a Finals appearance. Up until this season, the Mavs were perennial playoff threats. He held them accountable on the defensive end, save for Luka Doncic. But he was also super prickly with the media and front office. He seemed short with the people he didn't like there. And this past season showed that he is not a builder of a team. He needs stars in the room the moment he takes a new job, if he takes a new job as a coach. I could see him taking a year off, or being an assistant at some glamour team. I wouldn't be shocked if the Lakers were somehow able to hire him as an assistant for a year. I could see a team like the Hawks hiring him onto the staff to tweak their defense a bit. But, maybe a job opens up sooner rather than later and maybe Kidd will be at the top of that, or those, teams list. He could go coach the Kings or the Wizards. The Wizards even have some big names, and they have the top pick in this upcoming draft. He could go be an assistant with the Bucks if they retain Giannis. Kidd will have his choice out there, but if you were to ask me what I think his next move will be, I think he will take a year off, do some broadcasting and wait to see what jobs open up next year. I don't think he wants to be an assistant again, and there's always turnover in the NBA year to year. Some teams will be looking for a new head coach next season, and it wouldn't surprise me to see Kidd at the top of those teams wishlists.
Time will tell, but this seems like a good move for both sides.
Ty
Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.