Mavericks’ firing of Jason Kidd part of their vision of building for future
The Mavericks on Tuesday about an hour before the tip of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals released a statement announcing the parting of ways with coach Jason Kidd.
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The move had been anticipated, especially since the hiring of former Toronto and Denver executive Masai Ujiri as team president. Ujiri wouldn’t commit to keeping Kidd at his press conference but Kidd’s removal was for the primary purpose of avoiding power struggles within the organization.
“This was a tough decision after a few weeks of digging into the operations of this basketball team,” Ujiri said. “We’re going to really dig into the philosophies of the players we have and how we want to build around a player like Cooper Flagg, a dynamic player in Kyrie Irving, and the young players we have. I have to be accountable with a decision like this and I also have to be very active in how I look at the whole organization.”
Ujiri built a championship team in Toronto, making the calculated risk of acquiring Kawhi Leonard one year before his free agency knowing Leonard was highly unlikely to re-sign. He didn’t, but he left Toronto with a title. Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont has cleaned house since the debacle trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis. General manager Nico Harrison was removed in November and the Mavericks then decided to conduct a mid-level tanking job in order to get another lottery pick to support Flagg.
Kidd’s stance on the Doncic trade was always cloudy. He claimed that he had no idea Harrison had that in mind but was going to coach the team that Harrison constructed. Of course, the city of Dallas and the Mavericks fan base are still reeling from that deal. Davis barely played for the Mavericks before being dealt to the Wizards and the Mavericks got just one first-round pick from the Lakers is that stunning trade.
Ujiri was even asked at this introductory press conference whether he would have traded Doncic and he diplomatically asked the fan base to move forward from the deal and lauded Doncic’s impact on the franchise. Kidd’s presence in the organization was rather ominous since Harrison’s departure because the Hall of Fame point guard and former Bucks and Nets coach wanted more personnel responsibility. It’s uncertain whether he wanted Ujiri’s job but he definitely wanted more power and influence.
Kidd was criticized for how he handled the gifted Flagg during his rookie season, moving him to point guard and allowing him to make mistakes on the job. But the Maine native earned the Rookie of the Year award and is a foundational piece.
The best move for the Mavericks is to ensure Flagg’s development and comfort and that’s building a harmonious organization around him. That wasn’t the case during his rookie season.
“I don’t want to put blame in anything I do in making this decision,” Ujiri said. “For me, it was really thinking about the future of this team, the structure. Making taking a lot of information from the things I think are beneficial to build a team. Being transparent with everybody, I think a new slate was a good to way to look at this. We need clarity in where we’re going instead of lots of things in the mix.”
Kidd brought the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals with Doncic as the centerpiece but that was a flawed team that were soundly defeated by the Celtics. The trading of Doncic, especially for such little return, eventually became the most unpopular deal in team history and those with their fingerprints on the decision were removed. The rationalization for moving Doncic — his lack of defense and conditioning — were never considered valid by the fan base and the only positive development was the Mavericks winning the draft lottery and taking Flagg. Still, most of the Mavericks’ core returns next season, including the aging Klay Thompson in the final year of his deal and Irving coming off missing season with a torn ACL.
“Our minds are open and we’re going to look everywhere [for a new coach],” Ujiri said. “We are confident in what we know. This is not my first time in this space. That trade has made no part in how I thought about [the coaching change]. I’m in no position to criticize or blame or investigate some of the things that happened then. It’s something we have to find healing and move [on] from and that’s my job.”
RUNNING IT BACK
Kerr knows Warriors need work
When he deeply embraced Stephen Curry and Draymond Green near the conclusion of the Warriors’ play-in loss to the Suns, Steve Kerr appeared done as Golden State coach. The franchise has lost considerable steam since beating the Celtics in the Finals four years ago.
Kerr contemplated stepping down and perhaps returning to television, but after extensive conversations with owners Peter Guber and Joe Lacob, he’s returning on a two-year deal with the goal of bringing the Warriors back to respectability.
“Ultimately it was I think just the partnership and what we have and what we’ve built, and it wasn’t so much here are all the changes we need to make, because we know we need to make some changes,” Kerr said after signing his new deal. “I know I have to be better. I didn’t have a great coaching year this year. I know there are a lot of things I can do better. [GM] Mike [Dunleavy] and Joe know they have a big job on their hands this summer. We’ve got to find somebody in the draft who can help us and make a couple of good signings, maybe a trade.”
The Warriors won’t be favored to compete with the powers in the Western Conference. As of now, they’re not even close. Jimmy Butler will return sometime next season from a torn ACL. Moses Moody tore his patellar tendon in March and could miss a significant portion of next season. The Warriors desperately need youth and athleticism to even compete.
“With the injuries to Jimmy and Moses, I think we had to come to a much more reality-based, shared vision of what does success look like for us? What are we trying to accomplish?” Kerr said. “Because for the first time really since the injury-plagued year (2019-20) we aren’t sitting here saying, ‘Hey, we can win a championship,’ right? I don’t need to say that. We all kind of know that’s where we are, right, at this second. I think we had to hash that out. One of the things I feel really strongly about is I want to get better. I want to lay a stronger foundation for next season that will carry forward for years to come, beyond when I’m here.
“I think that’s important to the franchise. I know it’s important to Steph and Draymond and, frankly, this year I think we got a little away from that. We got a little too loose. Obviously literally loose with the ball. But I think we, because of our age, because of our injuries, we spent a lot of time kind of resting, and I got to tighten the ship up next year.”
Like the Celtics, the Warriors are going to have to change their philosophy to compete with the likes of the Thunder and Spurs. They’ll have to be more physical, more athletic and younger. Golden State signed Al Horford to join Curry and Green but the aging team couldn’t stay healthy or sustain any momentum. There was too much pressure on Curry.
“I think it looks like recommitting to our values and our process,” Kerr said. “I think the last couple of years, frankly, have been difficult with the age, the collective age, of our team, the injuries. I think we had, like, six guys this year who either couldn’t play back-to-backs or were on minutes restrictions often at the same time.
“I think I really, frankly, gave everyone too much leeway this year. It just felt like we were constantly resting everybody and just trying to survive to the next game and have enough healthy bodies.”
“If we can go into this season with a really clear vision of what we’re trying to do on the court, everybody is tight and committed, and we get the process going, that’s what will lead to success. So I can’t sit here and, you know, predict anything, wins and losses, but what success means to me is rededicating ourselves to a process where we’re going to put in the work, and we’re going to get better.”
Kerr said he had some revealing conversations with ownership and his players about the direction of the franchise. Those healthy discussions encouraged him to return and help rebuild the culture, which had been decaying in recent years.
“One of the things I think are most important when you are in a position of leadership is listening and not taking stuff personally and feeling offended and understanding that when you’re in partnership with people, you have to listen,” he said. “Not that I needed any arm-twisting to fix our turnovers. I’m well aware that that was a big problem for us this year, but I think it’s just important to take everybody’s thoughts and advice and try to come up with the best solution.
“We have a lot to figure out this summer. It’s not as simple as it sounds, obviously.”
The question for the Warriors is whether Horford will exercise his player option and return and whether Kristaps Porzingis, who was productive for the Warriors, when he was on the floor, comes back via free agency. They could be other interested parties in Porzingis, including the Celtics.
“Obviously we want [Horford] back,” Kerr said. “I know he really enjoys it here. I know his family loves it here. I’m hoping he’s back. Kristaps, actually we did not have an exit meeting. I gave him a pass on the exit meeting because he had to fly somewhere, like, the next day after our season ended. I do that frequently with veteran players. There’s only so much you need to discuss.
“He’s obviously unrestricted. I’d love to have him back. I know he enjoyed it here, and he’s a really talented player. I thought showed an awful lot for our team. I’d love to have them both back.”
ETC.
Intriguing possibilities
The Celtics need help at center and there are a pair of intriguing candidates who have been linked for years. Robert Williams and Mitchell Robinson came from the same draft, with the Celtics taking Williams out of Texas A&M with the 27th pick in 2018, while the Knicks selected Robinson nine picks later.
Both are unrestricted free agents this summer who come with some limitations but could be exactly what the Celtics need, especially defensively. Williams is coming off a renaissance seasons of sorts in Portland, having played 59 games and averaging 6.7 points and 7.0 rebounds in just 17.1 minutes per game with a 107 defensive rating (opponents points per 100 possessions).
Williams played just 26 games in the previous two seasons with Portland because of injuries, but he stayed mostly healthy last season and the Celtics wouldn’t need him to play front-line minutes with the presence of Neemias Queta and perhaps Luka Garza. Williams will be 29 by opening night and could fit into the Celtics’ mid-level exception if they opt for a reunion. Of course, the club is familiar with his injury history and would have to develop a plan to keep Williams on the floor, especially for the playoffs. He was impactful defensively for the Trail Blazers in their first-round series loss to the Spurs.
As for Robinson, he may not return to the Knicks if they have other salary plans to maintain their championship-level squad. Robinson is one of the league’s best rebounders, doesn’t require the ball, and is brilliant defensively. The drawback is his lack of an offensive game and poor free throw shooting. Coaches such as Joe Mazzulla and Kenny Atkinson have employed hack-a-Mitch to put Robinson at the line, limit Knicks scoring opportunities, and force coach Mike Brown to make a decision whether to keep him in the game.
But his upside should interest the Celtics because of his ability to guard smaller players on the perimeter and give his team additional scoring chances. Robinson is making roughly $13 million in the final year of his Knicks deal and will be seeking a raise, but the Celtics should be able to fit him into the mid-level with perhaps a promise to increase his offensive responsibility.
Layups
Jamahl Mosley didn’t spend long unemployed as the Pelicans quickly snapped him up to be their coach. It’s an interesting choice considering Mosley was heavily criticized for not being able to take a group of young Magic lottery picks to the next level and blowing a 3-1 first-round series lead against the Pistons, including a 22-point second-half lead at home in Game 6. The Pelicans weren’t going to chase premium coaching candidates who would demand lofty salaries. They wanted Mosley’s reputation as a defensive specialist for a team that needs guidance. The question is whether he can field a healthy team — Zion Williamson has a history of injury although he enjoyed his healthiest NBA season to date — and galvanize a young roster into a winner. The Magic could never stay healthy under Mosley but he also couldn’t get the best out of the combination of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. The Magic are still seeking a coach and could be waiting for the end of the conference finals to interview Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney, one of the hot prospects on the market. And Hall of Fame coach Billy Donovan left the Bulls after six seasons to potentially pursue other opportunities … New Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon is making few friends or admirers in his brief stint running the club. He basically showed no support for Tiago Splitter after a playoff season because of the interim coach’s salary demands, and refused to allow the team’s two-way players, who were ineligible for the playoffs, to travel with the club during the postseason. According to Portland reporter Sean Highkin, Dundon laid off 70 employees, including the entire public relations staff. Dundon has been unapologetic about his cost-cutting as he seeks to run the Blazers like the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, who have flourished under his ownership. But the cost of running an NHL team is not the same as one in the NBA. For example, the highest-valued NHL club is the Maple Leafs at an estimated $4.4 billion. The Hurricanes are worth about $2 billion. The highest-valued NBA club is the Warriors at $11 billion, followed by the Lakers at $10 billion, and the Knicks at $9.75 million. The Celtics are worth an estimated $6.7 billion. The lowest-valued NBA club is the Grizzlies at $3.5 billion, that would rank third amongst NHL teams.
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