Proper Perspective: Dallas Mavericks’ Achilles heel is clear, and something has to change quickly, this era has run its course

The optimism surrounding the Dallas Mavericks was booming as the All-Star break approached. A string of wins, a roster finally getting healthy at the right time, and two new trade acquisitions directly addressing the team’s glaring weaknesses led to a burst of contender talk. Every NBA YouTube channel big and small released their obligatory video fawning over the Mavs as dark horse contenders and national talk shows were forced to spend a segment begrudgingly discussing the upside in Dallas. In securing a victory over the Suns in the first game after the break, the Mavericks pushed their streak to seven, and then…the bottom fell out.

No, the season is not over – far from it. But any fair reading of the team’s performance over the last 6 games would portend a trajectory closer to last year’s result than the one before it. Yes, the Mavericks remain likely to reach the play-in tournament barring an all-out freefall. Short of a miracle run from such a low position, yet another season of Luka Doncic’s career will have been spent toiling as a postseason afterthought.

Given the team’s contractual commitments combined with the asset expenditure it has taken to arrive at this core roster, it is fair to question how results will trend better next season without a new head coach.

Make no mistake, Jason Kidd – the basketball player – is a legend and deserves everlasting respect for his playing career and, in particular, his integral role on the 2011 Championship team. Yet, it is this incredible Hall of Fame stature that sometimes makes it difficult to intellectually bifurcate the playing days from his run as the Mavs head coach.

In a vacuum, this season and the two that come before tell the story of Kidd’s coaching philosophy – the strengths and the weaknesses. He is the quintessential players’ coach. He praises Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving with glowing reverence. He has declared his star guards are the system and gives them a level of freedom to match. Some of his personnel decisions to start the season were spot on. He started Dereck Lively almost immediately and relied on Derrick Jones Jr to great effect. The out-of-timeout and last-possession plays that hurt the Mavs last year have become a strength.

The weaknesses are often a mirror image of those strengths. The Mavericks have relied on the individual brilliance of Doncic and Irving to the point where the two superstar guards create almost every ounce of offensive advantage. There is a lack of orchestration beyond those aforementioned out-of-timeout scenarios. There is a dearth of motion aimed at consistently getting the supporting cast involved in ways that go beyond reacting to chances created by the gravity of the playmaker. While the improvisation of a pick-and-roll maestro is wonderful, the Mavericks lack a true third scorer and reliable bench production. When defenses decide to stay at home on shooters rather than constantly blitzing Doncic, there are far fewer wide-open shots the role players have come to rely on, and the offense stymies.

Kidd’s defense hinges on constant communication and anticipatory rotations. During flashes where the team is locked in and moving as one, it’s a beautiful thing. Yet any system reliant on coordination and hustle over individual talent to lockdown matchups will inevitably falter as cohesion and focus come and go. During this rough stretch, the Maverick defense has given up even more line drives off the dribble and wide-open corner threes than it usually does. Given the presence of Doncic and Irving on the other end, this team does not need elite defense but merely league-average which of late has felt miles away.

Then there is Kidd’s countenance on the sidelines and communication style with the media. While these dynamics matter much less than what transpires on the court, it is a source of frustration for this lifelong Maverick fan to sense an aloof placidity from the Dallas sideline as Kidd stands there, hands in pockets, observing – unable or unwilling to anticipate when getting tossed might prevent Luka Doncic from bubbling over for another technical foul. Instead of a head coach, his answers in post-game pressers smack of a basketball consultant brought in to assess things and give feedback to ownership and platitudes to the media. From Dick Motta to Don Nelson to Avery Johnson to Rick Carlisle, it rarely felt like those coaches of days gone by were void of passion and urgency. Each felt right there in the fire with the team and fans. The franchise needs a return to that sense of foundation.

The future needs a system all 15 roster spots can buy into, not simply a gameplan and playing time distributor. The players need a coach not merely a confidant. Next season’s Mavericks need a coach, not a consultant.