Dusty May is playing to the Mavericks’ strengths in ways Jason Kidd struggled

Make no mistake about it, Jason Kidd wasn't a terrible coach for the Dallas Mavericks despite all the flak he got. However, Dusty May is playing to the Mavericks' strengths in areas where Kidd struggled at times throughout his tenure in Dallas.

Kidd was a great player's coach, and the Mavericks always played hard under him, despite whatever state the team was in, but May has been more dynamic as an in-game tactician and has been more fluid with his lineup combinations.

For instance, Cooper Flagg spent a lot of last season at point guard, and while this came out of necessity sometimes due to Dallas' lack of guard depth and Kyrie Irving being out, this isn't the best way to utilize him. Flagg is best used as a secondary initiator and someone Dallas needs to get on the move, whether it's cutting off screens or posting up in the midrange.

May is playing to Dallas' strengths better than Kidd did last season

Just by the eye test, Dallas is veering away from being as heavy a pick-and-roll team as last year and is prioritizing being more of a fluid drive-and-kick offense. Based on their current personnel, this is the best way for this offense to operate, as Dallas has a lot of young legs and is prioritizing using their speed and athleticism to create advantages.

May also has Dallas' defense playing better compared to last season, even if there are still undoubtedly question marks at the point of attack. May's unlocked a different level of competitiveness and off-ball defense from someone like Zaccharie Risacher than anyone has seen from him throughout his career.

May also hasn't been hesitant to treat Dallas' lineups very fluidly, as he gives most of his top 11 or 12 players a chance in every game, and gives the most minutes to whoever is playing best or has the hot hand. While Kidd wasn't terrible in that area, he faltered in terms of playing certain players more than needed due to financial reasons or whatever the case was, as was the case with D'Angelo Russell last season.

May looks like the right coach for the Mavericks' new era

May has also been very effective in ATO situations and has been more privy to try different strategies, such as small-ball lineups or playing zone defensively. Not to say Kidd wouldn't employ those strategies sometimes, but they weren't as frequent compared to what May has shown in this early period, and were more last-resort type of moves for Kidd.

All in all, Kidd's resume in Dallas was great, but it was time for a new leader with the Flagg era beginning and the Luka Doncic era ending. There was fair skepticism over May coming to Dallas, given the lack of success college coaches have had in making the transition to the NBA in recent history, but May has looked like the perfect and adaptable leader for this Mavericks team through five games.

It's unfair to say May has completely eclipsed Kidd as a head coach this early into his career and Dallas' season, but there's no doubt he looks like the better fit for this Mavericks roster if one is just judging the first five games of this season, and he's enhancing the culture of this Mavericks team.

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