When it was announced that the Dallas Mavericks had hired Jason Kidd as the head coach after Rick Carlisle‘s exit, many people were nervous about what he would do for the team.
Currently, the Mavs are 11-9, which makes them the fourth-best team in the Western Conference.
Some people are praising the work of Kidd and say he’s the reason the team is behind only the red-hot Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and Utah Jazz.
Meanwhile, other people are saying that Kidd was an embarrassing mistake and his tenure as head coach should be short-lived.
There are good and bad things that come with Kidd and valid reasons on both sides of this argument.
Right now it seems like Kidd was not a mistake – but he is certainly a mixed bag.
He Has A Bad Track Record
Kidd has been head coach of two other NBA teams: the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks.
His record for both teams left a lot to be desired:
- 2013-14: Brooklyn Nets (44-38 with 5-7 in the playoffs)
- 2014-15: Milwaukee Bucks (41-41 with 2-4 in the playoffs)
- 2015-16: Milwaukee Bucks (33-49 and missed playoffs)
- 2016-17: Milwaukee Bucks (42-40 with 2-4 in the playoffs)
- 2017-18: Milwaukee Bucks (23-22 before being fired)
Kidd’s coaching style never led to great success with his previous teams, even when they had tremendous talent like a young Giannis Antetokounmpo.
He has had far more success as an assistant coach under Frank Vogel with the Los Angeles Lakers.
While assistant coach for the Lakers, Kidd won his second NBA championship when the team beat the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals.
Simply put, Kidd has never been the head coach for a championship team and that’s alarming for many Maverick fans who are eager to put something together with the stunning Luka Doncic.
While his previous record might not be downright horrible, it is hard to see it contending with the likes of Steve Kerr, Monty Williams, or Quin Snyder.
He Creates Drama
As a player and as a coach, Kidd seems to attract a lot of drama.
He experienced problems with the Mavericks when he was a player after rumors of arguments and combative behavior with other players and coaches surfaced.
Even though he had committed to re-signing with Dallas, Kidd still packed up and left for the New York Knicks, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of many Mavericks fans and players.
Things weren’t much better when he was a coach, especially when he attempted to gain more power with the Nets.
While coaching the Nets, multiple reports said that Kidd was attempting to strong-arm the organization to give him a more managerial role along with his coaching duties.
The rumors said that Kidd was trying to push out the general manager of the Nets, Billy King.
After the team organization denied Kidd’s request, he began searching for a new job and eventually found one with the Bucks.
However, some of his coaching choices there were harshly criticized, to put it lightly.
His brutal and relentless schedule – even during holidays – was seen as cruel by many.
Yet, Kidd still reflects fondly on his time with the Bucks even though there was ample drama.
Jason Kidd reflects on his time with the Bucks:
"People always say that it didn't work out well, I think it worked out great. I taught those young guys what it meant to be a pro, what it meant to work. Giannis turned out to be a MVP, Khris turned out to be an All-Star." pic.twitter.com/kMvARl4Gjg
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 7, 2021
Additionally, some of the legal and relationship problems that Kidd has had made numerous people feel like he wasn’t a suitable choice to lead Dallas and that he was somewhat of a loose cannon.
However, He’s Creating Results
Despite the worries about him, Kidd is exceeding some expectations.
While they are not the number one seed in the west, the Mavericks are looking quite good and have a chance to go far in the postseason.
Plus, he has been getting a lot of wonderful output from some of his players, particularly Kristaps Porzingis.
Kristaps Porzingis is heating up in November 👀
Watch the Unicorn's best plays from his past 8 outings before the @dallasmavs visit the Clippers tonight at 10:30pm/et on NBA League Pass: https://t.co/V0kkYEn6W6 pic.twitter.com/qgiy4Ooyq7
— NBA (@NBA) November 23, 2021
For the last few seasons, Porzingis hasn’t been playing like an All-Star but he has been performing much better under Kidd than he has in years.
Even with all of his problems and difficult style, it seems like Kidd is connecting with his team and that can’t be ignored.
NEXT: 3 NBA Teams That Did Not Do Enough In Free Agency