Jason Kidd finally delivers the benching Mavericks fans begged for

Dallas Mavericks fans finally got their wish granted recently when coach Jason Kidd benched underperforming forward Caleb Martin for the past two games. The NBA veteran has been struggling heavily this season and has failed to meet expectations since being traded to Dallas. His offensive struggles and lack of confidence were enough reasons to sit him out of the rotation.

In simple terms, Martin has not been performing adequately for the past 10 months. His ineffective minutes are a testament to the mess Nico Harrison left behind. If you recall, Harrison traded for Martin right after the Luka Doncic trade, as he believed his veteran expertise, defense, and playoff history could help elevate the Mavs. However, it was another costly mistake made by the former general manager.

Now, it's clear Dallas regrets the trade, and their recent actions prove it. Kidd has already shown a lack of trust in Martin due to his steady decrease in minutes. Plus, last season's failures don't help make things easier for him to ease his way back into the rotation. Martin could turn things around, but it's unlikely.

Caleb Martin played his way out of Jason Kidd's rotation

As mentioned, Dallas acquired Martin last season in the hope that he would bring plenty of experience. Injuries, though, took their toll as Martin only played in 14 games for the Mavs last season, averaging 5.4 points per game and shooting 38.9 percent overall. It was obvious things were going downhill fast, and he didn't even look like a rotation player.

Things were supposed to improve this season, but Martin's shooting slump has been the main storyline. The Mavs' forward is shooting a career-low 24.3 percent overall and 15.4 percent from the 3-point line. In his most recent game, he played two minutes of garbage time; the game prior, he played 12 minutes and scored just three points on one converted attempt.

It was obvious, though, that things were going south as his production in November was a foreshadowing of things to come. Last month, he averaged a mere one point per game and shot 17.4 percent overall. He had one of his worst offensive performances on November 29 when he missed all five of his shot attempts, as it was his third straight scoreless game. Not to mention, he has scored just three points over the team's past seven games.

Basically, it's obvious why fans wanted him benched. His offensive production since joining the team has been terrible. Martin's failure to improve on the offensive end speaks volumes to the suffering the organization has experienced over the past few months.

Plus, to add salt to the wound, Quentin Grimes, the player traded for Martin, has been an excellent role player for the Philadelphia 76ers. He is currently averaging 16.2 points per game and shooting 44 percent overall. In his most recent game, Grimes had 14 points and shot 40 percent from the 3-point line. So, it's clear Mavs fans are once again shaking their head at another poor trade.

The best thing Dallas can do is continue to limit Martin's minutes on the court. Remember, he is currently in the second year of his four-year contract, which he signed with Philadelphia, something the Mavs picked up when trading for him. The team is likely stuck with him since he has no trade value with his poor production.

Hopefully, Kidd's benching of Martin the past two games is a sign of good things to come, and maybe they could get a team to take on his contract in a bigger trade.