Mavericks: 5 ways it could be different for Jason Kidd as head coach in Dallas

Way it could be different for Jason Kidd with Dallas Mavericks: 4. Better relationships with players

Kidd was an old-school coach that was never afraid to call out his players in Milwaukee. He would do it in film sessions and during timeouts. It rubbed some players the wrong way, but others thrived on it. Khris Middleton was quoted as saying, “I loved it”. And “He fired me”, about Kidd’s coaching style. Middleton went from second-round pick playing on his second team into a borderline All-Star under Kidd.

Giannis Antetokounmpo also had a fantastic relationship with his former coach. Kidd took him from second-year starter to two-time All-Star in his four seasons in Milwaukee. Giannis had this to say about J-Kidd in 2019 to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

"“I was used to Jason Kidd. He was breaking us down, but I was happy about it. I think I was the only one that was embracing that. I came from nothing and worked hard every day. That’s what I was used to.”"

Kidd is going to bring that hard-nosed style to Dallas. It will not be for every player, but the Hall of Famer helped the Bucks’ current stars blossom.

Kidd did not have a positive relationship with Jabari Parker, and he arguably spent too much time working with the stars in Milwaukee. It will be interesting to see if his philosophy changed after spending two seasons as an assistant in Los Angeles.

Jason Kidd must have a better relationship with all of his players in Dallas. He cannot just have a rapport with the star talent.

Next: No. 3