Is Jason Kidd the best head coaching option for the Dallas Mavericks? Should the team consider moving in a different direction?
Kidd is well known with the Mavericks, as he won a championship with the team as a player back in 2011. He also began his Hall of Fame playing career in Dallas. After various other coaching stints following his retirement, Kidd returned to Dallas to become the head coach in 2021. The Mavs gave Kidd a multi-year contract extension before the 2025-26 season, so they seem to be committed to the head coach.
With that being said, it may be time for the Mavs to seriously consider what the future holds for the team. Dallas has struggled to begin the 2025-26 campaign and Kidd has made a number of questionable decisions. Additionally, this Mavericks squad doesn't seem to have much of an identity. The offense is in shambles — which is somewhat understandable given all of the injuries on the roster — but Kidd is clearly having a difficult time finding an offensive strategy that works.
Jason Kidd's lack of a strategy
When asked about the team's offensive woes, Kidd has consistently turned to a similar answer. The Mavs head coach often states the obvious, saying they are missing shots despite getting good looks. The reality of the situation is that Dallas doesn't feature a true play-maker right now. Kidd's Cooper Flagg point guard experiment simply did not work.
Anyone who has watched the Mavs over the years is aware that Kidd loves to try new things early in the season. He seems to prefer testing various strategies before committing to any one approach. The common basketball fan could have explained why placing an 18-year-old forward at point guard was a bad move, however.
Kidd was also seemingly hesitant to start D'Angelo Russell before finally making the move on Wednesday — a game that saw Dallas lose 101-99 to the New Orleans Pelicans. As mentioned, Dallas lacks a true point guard, but Russell is the closest player to the fit on the roster. Before Wednesday's contest, however, Russell had not started a game with the Mavs.
Going back to the strategy question, the reality of the situation is that Kidd did not have to be especially creative in the past with Luka Doncic on the roster. Luka would over-dribble at times, but he'd also create mesmerizing plays out of nowhere. All Kidd had to do was sit back and enjoy the show.
That isn't the case anymore.
Who is Jason Kidd without Luka Doncic?
During the Mavericks' 2023-24 NBA championship run, the team featured the sixth best offensive rating in the NBA. They took a step back last season, as Doncic dealt with an injury and was traded in early February. Still, the Mavs finished 18th overall in offensive rating.
So far during the 2025-26 campaign, Dallas' 103.2 offensive rating is the worst in the NBA. The Mavs are also 28th in assist-turnover ratio, 18th in turnover percentage, 26th in field goal percentage and 28th in three-point percentage. In other words, the team's offense has been shockingly bad and Kidd hasn't done much in the way of adjustments.
His first real offensive adjustments came on Wednesday, when he moved Flagg to the three, started Russell at the one, and moved Klay Thompson to the bench. The moves did not change a whole lot, as the offense continued to struggle.
With Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving injured, Kidd is in a difficult situation. The truth is that he has been in a challenging spot ever since Nico Harrison shocked the NBA world with the Doncic trade nine months ago.
To Kidd's credit, he did a respectable job of keeping the players together amid last season's adversity. Dallas still managed to earn a play-in spot and even won a game in the tournament before getting eliminated from the postseason.
Jason Kidd is a fine NBA coach. He's endured a challenging season from a head coaching standpoint, but it's not all his fault. Still, he is not doing much to help his case.
At this point, the Mavericks may need to commit to hitting the rest button. A head coaching change could feel like a breath of fresh air. A general manager change is what Mavericks fans really want — and they could get their wish if Dallas continues to play at an alarming rate all season. Most people around the NBA world agree that moving on from Harrison is the best move.
However, moving on from Kidd may be the Mavericks' best option as well. A fresh start may benefit both Kidd and the Mavs.
