Jason Kidd finally gives Mavericks fans what they're begging for amid tank race

Despite improving to 24-50 with a win last night against a respectable Portland Trail Blazers squad, there's no denying that Jason Kidd has tweaked his rotation since the All-Star break and the team's elimination from the playoffs. While it's been a simple change, Kidd has been way more willing to play two-way guys and young players over veterans who give the Mavericks a much better chance to win.

Since the trade deadline, fans have been begging Kidd to play AJ Johnson and other young players in more meaningful roles. Not only would this ultimately ensure that the Mavericks lose as many games as possible before heading into an important draft lottery process, but it would also give the opportunity for young players to mold their game into what the team needs before the offseason.

Dallas' tank may not be official — but there are signs

Despite a win in last night's road trip to Portland, Kidd revealed that he has been more willing than ever to play many of the younger guys. One knock every fan had against Kidd recently was that his rotation didn't include players like Johnson or Tyler Smith when the team clearly needed to lean into the tank; however, that appears to have finally shifted.

Moving forward, it appears that most two-way guys will get a respectable amount of play throughout each game, and while it won't result in wins or even competitive basketball, it gives the Mavericks valuable insight into who they might want returning next summer. Johnson has always been a project player since being drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks, but it finally appears that Kidd has shifted his mindset from wins to developing a roster and focusing on the bigger picture.

Up to this point, the Mavericks have "ethically tanked" by making games extremely competitive by playing their starters normal minutes and winning at the last moment or losing in a clutch game. While losses are still coming in swaths, the Mavericks need to really focus on losing and pushing out a young and inexperienced roster to ensure losses and secure their spot in the draft odds.

Mavericks have a simple method to lose more games

Taking away the final two games from the 2022-23 NBA regular season, the Mavericks have been very reluctant to tank under Kidd, and while the Mavericks have yet to tank any games as controversially as they did just three seasons ago, more losses need to head Dallas' way.

Injecting guys like Johnson, Smith, and even John Poulakidas, who has played well to this point, is one simple way Kidd can ensure fans he is in it for the long haul. There shouldn't be anything more important than pairing Cooper Flagg with a future star by simply losing a few more games than normal in his rookie season.

It's hard to say if Kidd will stay committed to playing the young players over guys like Klay Thompson or Khris Middleton, but over the last week, all signs are pointing to Kidd slowly making that change. The sooner Kidd can throw out lineups of Flagg, Ryan Nembhard, and other young products, the closer the Mavericks will get to achieving their draft night dreams.