Dusty May's college coaching style is exactly what the Mavericks needed

Dusty May has been a revelation for the Dallas Mavericks through 11 games. The 49-year-old head coach has led the Mavs to a 7-4 record, overcoming serious offseason doubts. While Dallas' improved roster has contributed to the team's better-than-expected start, May's coaching has played a significant role in that success.

May holds his players accountable, brings great energy, and makes good in-game adjustments. He's hungry in his first year as an NBA head coach, and his drive for himself and his players to get better every day is why Masai Ujiri made the right hire here.

Dallas made the right move to fire Jason Kidd

Ujiri fired Jason Kidd less than a month after becoming Dallas' president of basketball operations, and this decision has paid off so far. He made this move "in the name of starting over as completely as possible," according to NBA insider Marc Stein, and May has been a breath of fresh air the franchise needed.

Kidd got tangled in rumors about the Luka Doncic trade, and Ujiri got rid of those tied to the most infamous trade in NBA history. MFFLs are, and rightfully so, still heartbroken by this move, but Ujiri is doing whatever he can to make Mavs basketball fun once again. So far this season, he has done this.

May's approach is perfect for the Mavericks

While Ujiri interviewed some NBA assistant coaches while searching for Kidd's successor, he "wanted a college coach who would live in the gym and help him build a program from the ground up." Through three weeks of the regular season, May has checked this box perfectly. His hands-on approach is evident through the way he works with his players, individually and as a whole, and many of Dallas' players have raved about the job he has done thus far.

"Dusty’s doing a great job of confronting us when we’re not doing things right or when we’re not living up to our standards, and he knows that we're better when we're hunting," Kyrie Irving said after the Mavs' win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.

A coach who is willing to hold all of his players accountable isn't easy to find in the NBA, but it's what makes May such a strong fit for this Mavericks team. Dallas went from being one of the oldest teams in the NBA to one of the youngest in the span of a year, and these young players will benefit from tough love rather than affirmation.

May's experience developing young players in college prepared him to coach a Mavericks team that won just 26 games last season, and he's determined to improve.

He's not afraid to bench players when they're not doing their job or getting outplayed, as shown by Max Christie's shrinking role after starting 68 games last season, and Dallas is in a great spot as they begin this new era.

The Mavericks needed a complete culture change after a season that was filled with losses, injuries, and adversity, and the culture that May and Ujiri are building deserves more recognition. Dusty May may not be the established NBA coach that many Mavs fans were hoping for after firing Kidd, but the team is already seeing the benefits of this move.

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