Mavericks just passed the entire NBA in a place no one expected

The future of the Dallas Mavericks coaching staff looked uncertain earlier this summer, as most of Jason Kidd's key assistants headed elsewhere. Sean Sweeney left for the San Antonio Spurs, Jared Dudley joined the Denver Nuggets, God Shammgod went to the Orlando Magic, and Alex Jensen headed to the University of Utah, his alma mater, to become the head coach. Dallas' assistant coaches were easily one of their strong suits over the last few seasons, and losing these coaches right after a disastrous season threw Mavs fans into a panic about the future of the team.

Despite all of these coaches leaving, the Mavericks found a way to bring in an elite staff to replace them, and Dallas did a complete 180 as the front of the bench went from a major question mark after everyone left to arguably the best staff in the league. Even Kidd's future looked uncertain this summer after rumors of him joining the New York Knicks' staff hijacked the offseason, but he seems fully invested in spearheading this new group of Mavs coaches that is filled with experience.

Dallas brought in Jay Triano, Popeye Jones, Frank Vogel, Phil Handy, and Jordan Sears, among others, to join the staff, and Mavericks fans shouldn't worry about the group of coaches who are leading the team alongside Kidd.

Mavericks built an elite coaching staff amid a stressful summer

Many of these new coaches coached alongside Kidd during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, and they likely already have a great level of familiarity with one another and their coaching styles. Kidd, Vogel, Handy, and Mike Penberthy were all with the Lakers when they won the title in 2020, and they'll have the chance to replicate this success in Dallas five years later with a veteran-loaded roster.

It's not common for one team to have multiple assistant coaches who have head coaching experience elsewhere, and that's exactly what the Mavericks have. Vogel has coached 902 games as a head coach, and Triano has coached 308.

Dallas added as much experience as anyone in the coaching department this summer, but their key additions go further than just Triano and Vogel.

Handy is known as one of the best player development coaches in the NBA, and while they lost a legend in Shammgod, Handy should be able to replace him and ensure that there isn't much of a drop-off there. He will help many of Dallas' players become more well-rounded in all parts of their game, and the guards and wings will likely benefit the most.

Naji Marshall and Jaden Hardy are among the Mavericks players who were seen working out with Handy this summer, and he seems to be the type of coach who lives in the gym.

This new coaching staff, combined with Dallas' roster, should put the Mavericks in a great spot to be contenders in the Western Conference, and they are taking every necessary step to avoid missing the playoffs for the third time in four years. The Mavs have quietly passed the entire league in the assistant coaching department, and fans' first chance to see this new staff in action will be on October 6 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.