Should head coach Jason Kidd take blame for Dallas Mavericks struggles?

The Dallas Mavericks have been one of the worst teams in the NBA since the All-Star break. They have lost three straight and nine of their last 12 games at a point in the season where every game matters. Dallas has fallen into the Play-In Tournament, and they are just one game from missing the postseason entirely.

Many factors are at play, including injuries to stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Doncic will miss his third straight game on March 15, and Kyrie has missed the last two and three since joining the Mavs on Feb. 6. Some of the blame lies with Jason Kidd and his coaching staff, and the front office should not be absolved in the team’s struggles.

Coach Kidd has refused to take the blame, and Mavs Twitter grows louder by the day with their chants to relieve the Hall of Famer of his duties. Should J-Kidd take the blame for the team’s struggles? Here is a look at why he should in five areas and a few that he should not.

Jason Kidd should take the blame for the Dallas Mavericks rotation issues

Coach Kidd had this to say after his team blew a 27-point lead and lost to the Lakers on Feb. 26.

"I’m not the savior here. I’m not playing. I’m watching, just like you guys. As a team, we’ve got to mature. We got a lot of new bodies coming back, and we’ve got to grow up if we want to win a championship."

Kidd is no longer out there on the court, but he is not just watching the game. He is the one deciding the rotations, calling plays, and leading the team. If he is just watching, why show up at all? J-Kidd was an all-time great point guard, and he has an exceptional basketball mind. The Mavs need him to use that to help them win.

The Hall of Famer is not always playing the best players. Christian Wood has his defensive issues, but he is a special offensive talent. He should not be playing 15 minutes per game. Josh Green is one of the team’s most important players in the present and future. Coach Kidd should not be playing someone the team signed on the buyout market last month over him. The blame for those decisions and others are on Kidd.

Jason Kidd also needs to take the blame for the team’s struggles late in games.

Dallas Mavericks late game woes sit directly on Jason Kidd’s shoulders

Clutch stats are all in a small sample size. Even with just 13 games left, Dallas has only played 183 clutch minutes this season, which is 3.8 full games worth of action.

Judging anything off those numbers seems foolish, but fans watch the games. They know their offense slows down late. They have a 106.9 offensive rating in clutch situations this season, which ranks 23rd in the NBA.

The Mavericks now have two of the best scorers and shot-creators in the NBA. They are still figuring out how to play together, but the ATOs have been awful, especially late in close games. Dallas literally runs the same play every single time. They just try to get the ball into Luka on the left wing, so he can fire a 3-pointer from his spot. Teams know it is coming, and Kidd has offered zero creativity in getting his 24-year-old superstar open.

Jason Kidd is not taking the shots late in games, but drawing up plays during timeouts would help them get open. The Hall of Famer trusts Luka, which is fantastic, but trust alone is not enough to defeat the best teams in the NBA. Coach Kidd needs to help his team by drawing up plays and guiding them through those late games situations.

The Dallas Mavericks are struggling, and they need the Hall of Famer to lead them through it.

Jason Kidd needs to lead the Dallas Mavericks now more than ever

When Kidd was hired in the summer of 2021, he preached chemistry, accountability, and defense. Those were the things that he wanted to instill in the Mavericks, and it worked during his first season. They jumped to seventh in defensive rating as a tight-knit team that took responsibility for their play. Those pillars not transferring over in year two.

The Mavericks lost key leaders Jalen Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith along with everyone’s favorite teammate Boban Marjanovic. They have added three new pieces since the trade deadline and have rarely had their full roster healthy. Dallas does not have chemistry right now, and they are never going to have the defense.

Coach Kidd has refused to take any accountability for the team’s play. Much has been made about his “nobody’s dying” remark after the team’s loss to the Grizzlies on March 13, and somewhat rightfully so. The Mavericks must have some urgency, and they need their head coach leading them. Yes, they are dealing with injuries and trying to come together on the fly, but that means the team needs a leader more than ever.

The Dallas Mavericks will get through this tough stretch, but they would do that faster with strong leadership. With Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving out injured, that falls solely on the shoulders of coach Kidd, but he should not take the blame for the current state of the roster.

Jason Kidd should not take the blame for the Dallas Mavericks uneven roster

Coach Kidd has preached defense since taking the job, but the front office has not given him a roster that fits that style. They were in the bottom ten in defensive rating before trading away their best defender to get Kyrie Irving. Yes, the Mavs wanted a second star, but they have not built their roster to their coach’s style of play.

It started in the offseason with trading for Christian Wood. The 6’10 big man has a unique and special offensive skill set, but he has always been a below-average defender. He just does not fit into the way Kidd wants to play. It is like trying to make spaghetti and meatballs with chicken and rice. There are plenty of delicious meals to cook with the ingredients on hand, but it is not what you want to make.

Beyond that, the Mavs do not have a balanced roster. Their personnel is tilted too heavily towards the offensive end of the floor. Dallas does not have a perimeter stopper or any rim protection. They are the worst rebounding team in the league and dreadful defensively. None of that should fall on Kidd’s shoulders. Owner Mark Cuban and the front office must add more talent this summer or Dallas will face a similar fate next season.

Coach Kidd did not put the roster together, but he should take some blame for how he is making them play.

Jason Kidd is trying to make the current Dallas Mavericks into something they are not

Kidd deserves the blame for trying to make this into a defensive-minded team. Yes, it was the reason they reached the conference finals last season, and the current Mavs must play better defense, but it is not in their DNA. The Hall of Famer is coaching a special offensive group that should have the best offensive rating in the NBA. He needs to lean into that strength to get them back on track.

Back to the food analogy, Kidd must forget his desire for spaghetti and make a delicious chicken and rice dish. Let Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving punish opposing teams. Put the best players on the floor, including Josh Green and Christian Wood. Give up 120 points every game as you attempt to score 125. Using Dwight Powell over Wood and Justin Holiday over Green is not winning games right now, so simplify things and play to the strengths of the roster.

The Mavs need to embrace those edges. Go small playing Maxi Kleber and Christian Wood at the five. Let Josh Green, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Reggie Bullock handle the minutes on the wing with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving taking on the playmaking duties. Letting those seven average 32 minutes per game leaves just 16 for the rest of the roster.

The Dallas Mavericks are in a bad spot with plenty of blame to go around, but how do they get out of it?

Things will only get better for Dallas Mavericks if Jason Kidd accepts blame and makes changes

Everyone involved in the Mavs has to take a hard look in the mirror right now. They are 34-35 with two of the top 20 basketball players in the world on their roster. Yes, Kyrie Irving has only played 11 games in Dallas and there have been injuries, but those are just excuses. The Mavericks have underperformed all year and a piece of the blame lies with everyone involved.

Jason Kidd needs to accept his portion of the blame and make some changes if things are going to improve. He must alter the rotation, play his best players, get more creative with his ATOs, embrace the talent on the roster, and lead the team.

That is a lot to change overnight, but Dallas has lofty aspirations. Going from 34-35 to a deep playoff run is going to take a lot of alterations in a short period. Will J-Kidd make his share? It is something worth watching down the stretch.

If nothing changes, the Dallas Mavericks will miss the postseason entirely. They will finish outside the top ten in the Western Conference and be headed to the lottery with a slim chance of actually keeping their draft pick. The roster is too flawed right now to overcome all those issues.

The Mavericks will have bigger issues to deal with if they miss the playoffs. Kyrie Irving will likely depart in free agency and that could push Luka Doncic to ask for a trade. A lot is riding on these final 13 regular season games, so do not miss a second of the action.