The Dallas Mavericks were defeated 137-120 by the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. It was a frustrating game for Dallas as their defense failed to step up in the loss. Myles Turner, Tyrese Haliburton, and Indiana leaned on their impressive offensive attack throughout the affair. Head coach Jason Kidd and the Mavericks are battling adversity at the moment.
I asked Kidd if his experience as a great player can help him as a leader and coach, and he provided an insightful response that will catch Mavericks fans’ attention.
“That’s a great question, being a great player or just a great person or great coach you just draw from the past,” Kidd said. “Being able to share with Kai (Kyrie Irving) and Luka (Doncic) what it means to be great, what it means to be a leader, and those two are doing it on and off the floor.”
Mavericks’ struggles
Dereck Lively II struggled on Tuesday. The 20-year-old rookie didn’t score a point and recored only one rebound. Kidd addressed how they can hep Lively, who has been tremendous for the most part this season.
“Being able to help (Dereck Lively) as a rookie… He’s human. He’s got other things that go on in life that could be bothering him too. But we always are judged just on points…. or scoring, rebounds or blocked shots. But do you really know the person that you are criticizing?”
Kidd later said that Lively is going to play “15-20” years in this league and that the Mavs rookie will be “one of the best leaders that the Mavs have had.”
The culprit of Dallas’ downfall in the loss, though, was the team’s defensive effort. The Pacers shot 53.8 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from deep. Dallas just did not have much of an answer. Kidd is still confident in the Mavericks, but they must find a way to get more stops on defense in order to make any noise in the playoffs.
Jason Kidd’s optimistic mindset amid difficult stretch
Kidd understands that Dallas has a number of young players on the roster. As great as Luka Doncic is, he’s still only 25 years old. Kidd later put everything in perspective, sending a reminder about Dallas’ 2011 championship season.
“Also, that for me is about helping these young men be professionals on and off the floor,” Kidd said. “And that’s what we have. We’ve got a great group… Rome wasn’t built in a day. 2011 wasn’t built in a day, right? There’s only a few of us in that locker room who have won at the highest level. So it’s for us to help these young men get through this tough time. And guess what? It won’t be the last time.”
Dallas isn’t in the best spot at the moment. Losing is obviously never fun. The Mavericks now hold a 34-28 record after going 1-5 over their past six contests.
But can this difficult stretch serve as a wake-up call for the Mavs and help the team make a run moving forward?
“Every team goes through it,” Kidd said. “Maybe a couple don’t, but we’re in the midst of it. We still believe that we have the opportunity to win. We have the talent, mindset, it’s just being able to do it on a consistent basis. That’s what every other team is fighting for is to be consistent. Right now, that’s what we’re doing.
“Yes, if we get hot then everybody will ask, ‘well how did this thing turn around?’ It’s about the group staying together, coming to work everyday with a positive attitude too and the energy. And having fun. That’s one of the things right now… Losing isn’t fun. Winning is. So we’re all fighting for that and that’s what this time of the year is all about.”
More must-reads: