MAC ENGEL suggests that Jason Kidd’s time with the Mavericks is resembling Wade Phillips’ tenure with the Dallas Cowboys. The NBA is currently witnessing a scoring-heavy era, but the Mavericks’ lack of defensive effort is so glaring that it seems the players might want their coach fired. There’s a call for the team to have some pride and respect for both the front and back of their jerseys. The recent loss to Rick Carlisle’s Indiana Pacers, the fifth in the last six games, highlights a decline reminiscent of what happens when a tough coach departs, drawing parallels to the Dallas Cowboys under Wade Phillips.
While Kidd led the Mavericks to a successful first year post-Rick, with a 50-win season and a Western Conference finals appearance, his third season is now showing signs of instability. Despite quality upgrades before the trade deadline, the team is currently the most perplexing in the NBA, capable of reaching the conference finals but also erratic enough to risk elimination in the play-in round. The team’s defense remains a significant issue, even with recent player additions.
Kidd acknowledges the team’s potential but points out inconsistency, emphasizing the need for better defensive effort. The Mavericks, despite having a healthy Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, find themselves hovering around the ninth spot in the West. The team is wasting Doncic’s historic offensive season, marked by impressive triple-doubles, and the frustration is evident.
Engel notes the coaching transition from Carlisle to Kidd, highlighting Kidd’s better fit with Doncic’s personality but admitting that Carlisle was the superior coach. The recent games against the Pacers reveal deficiencies in defense that were less pronounced under Carlisle. Kidd alludes to the gradual process of building a championship team, but doubts linger about the current state of the Mavericks. With 20 games remaining in the season, playoff qualification seems likely, but the outcome is uncertain.
In summary, MAC ENGEL draws parallels between Jason Kidd’s coaching tenure with the Mavericks and Wade Phillips’ time with the Dallas Cowboys, emphasizing defensive struggles, inconsistency, and the challenge of living up to past success.
