Getty Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd.
It’s been a rough second-half of the season for Jason Kidd‘s Dallas Mavericks. Dallas’ 104-88 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies was their ninth over their last 12 games. Kidd’s team’s recent skid has dropped them below .500 on the season with a record of 34-35.
The Mavericks sit in eighth place in the Western Conference with just 13 regular season games remaining.
With how tight the playoff race is out West, Dallas could very well find themselves participating in the Play-In Tournament at the end of the year, if they don’t fall out of the postseason altogether.
Kidd attributed his squad’s recent struggles to the pile of injuries they’ve had to deal with over the last few weeks.
“Just understand, our health – this is what we have, these are the cards we’re dealt,” Kidd said via the Dallas Mavericks YouTube channel. “Just like anybody in this league, we’ve got to play with the cards that we had tonight. We played a good half of basketball with a young backcourt that’s learning how to play the NBA game. Put that in perspective against a very good defensive team.”
He later added that if his team isn’t able to make a deep-run then it’s not a big deal, as “no one is dying.”
“Understand, we’re getting better – it’s just a matter of can we be healthy in time to make a stretch run?” he asked. “If not, that’s just the season. No one is dying.”
Jason Kidd Fires Shot at Mavericks Twitter
Kidd was full of fantastic quotes on Monday. Prior to the home-loss against the Grizzlies, he used his availability to take a shot at “Mavs Twitter.”
When he was discussing team’s big-man rotation of Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber, and Christian Wood, Kidd threw some shade at the fans and media, joking that he and the coaching always look to Twitter to figure out can please the fanbase.
“I think there was a report today where you saw that our best big is Dwight Powell,” Kidd said via Nick Angstadt of the Locked On Mavs Podcast. “When you look at that, you look at him with Ky(rie Irving) and Luka (Doncic), he’s the best big. And then I think it was Maxi (Kleber) and then C(hristian) Wood. So, we take the analytics and look at everything you guys write to figure out if we can please you guys.”
Kidd’s sarcastic statement was in response to some statistics that Angstadt had shared online, earlier in the day. He had pinpointed the respective net ratings of lineups containing Irving and Doncic, alongside each of the three bigs.
Luka/Kyrie + Bigs Lineups THREAD
Luka/Kyrie/Powell (334 Poss)
122.8 Offensive
110.4 Defensive
+12.4 Net
Luka/Kyrie/Maxi (Only 76 Poss)
123.7 Offensive
119.2 Defensive
+4.5 Net
Luka/Kyrie/Wood (Only 46 Possessions)
95.7 Offensive
153.5 Defensive
-57.8 Net(!)
Mavericks Fans Call For Firing of Jason Kidd
The March 13 defeat to Memphis marked Dallas’ second in as many games against the Grizzlies.
Following the prior loss on Saturday, Mavericks fans were none-too-pleased with Kidd, taking to Twitter to call for his firing.
Three Four Two Production’s Jason Gallagher first sent out a tweet, making fun of Dallas fans who still have faith in Kidd as the team’s coach.
“Shoutout everyone in Dallas who still believes in Kidd. I hope you also get everything you asked for from Santa next year,” he wrote.
Shoutout everyone in Dallas who still believes in Kidd. I hope you also get everything you asked for from Santa next year.
Fans then flocked to Gallagher’s replies to express their feelings on Kidd’s coaching.
“I’m done watching the Mavs this season unless they fire Jason Kidd,” Twitter user @RossAlvarez wrote. “I had enough of that clown ruining my team.”
@jga41agher I’m done watching the Mavs this season unless they fire Jason Kidd. I had enough of that clown ruining my team.
Another user (@bennybluechip) replied, suggesting that no fans believe in Kidd.
“The only people that believe in Kidd are the people Mark Cuban pays and holds at gunpoint to do so,” they replied.