MINNEAPOLIS – Forgive Jason Kidd if he decides to be flexible. He apparently won’t, but he’s very proud of himself and the Dallas Mavericks team for making it to the NBA Finals.
Few believed so, and if they chose to see it through, many believed Kidd would not sit on the sidelines, guiding and pushing this franchise through an impressive playoff run.
Some felt he was in a difficult position in Dallas despite leading the Mavericks to the 2022 Western Conference Finals.
“Everyone is going to change their tone or tone or say it’s me [to lead],” Kidd told Yahoo Sports on Thursday night after the Mavericks defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the Western Conference finals. “My job is to build something. Everyone likes this instant thing. This doesn `t happen. Championship organizations are not built overnight.”
Kidd still makes his players believe they are the underdogs despite their impressive run to the Finals – a part truth, part motivational tactic to keep them on edge.
“We like the underdog role, we have to be,” Kidd said. “Boston has been there before. We’re just a group of boys, as some say, who just graduated and go play on the playground. It’s cool to see this group come together for a short period of time and believe, and we got a great group of young guys.”
Moments before joining an extended but celebratory meeting with new Mavs governor Patrick Dumont, Kidd managed to exhale — if only for a minute. His contract extension from three weeks ago remains fresh, but he appears to be worth every penny.
“And for Nico [Harrison, Mavs president of basketball operations and general manager] and Patrick to see that with overtime before we even get past the first round,” Kidd said. “Understanding that they believed in what I could do and saw the impact I had on the guys…”
“It’s definitely a vote of confidence. In fact, I believed I was doing the right thing. If you looked at our list, it would get better. We all get better.”
That’s the thing. The NBA world judged Kidd as a coach before he was fully formed. He barely got off the ground in 2013-14 when he took over the formerly bankrupt Brooklyn Nets — and yes, Kidd was green.
He was fired midway through the Bucks’ 2017-18 season, which improved under Mike Budenholzer the following full season, and it was seen as confirmation that Kidd was holding the team back.
But he wasn’t given credit for putting the ball in Giannis Antetokounmpo’s hands and accelerating his development that culminated later. And Kidd was still growing into his position, with his voice and tactics.
Kidd and Harrison found a lineup that plays to Kidd’s strengths after the coach acknowledged to Yahoo Sports more than a year ago that Luka Dončić needed stronger perimeter help: “The usage is too high, no one can [sustain] what.”
Then they placed Kyrie Irving and later Dereck Lively II in the draft, and at the deadline added PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford. Kidd gives Harrison full credit for building the cast.
Kidd speaks in a low voice but provides strong eye contact – it’s discreet but intense. It would be disarming to see him as a strong leader if he didn’t have three trips to the NBA Finals on his list as a player, and two as a leader.
He can be demonstrative on the flanks, directing his players into defensive rotations. And in a rare display of emotion against the Timberwolves in Dallas, he acted like a referee and pointed to the Dallas side during a critical fourth-quarter possession when the referees conferred to make the correct call.
So when asked if he is seeking personal gratification, he tries to minimize it.
“It’s great,” Kidd said. “I don’t know what else you want me to say.”
He said a lot and has more to say in the coming weeks.
