Jason Kidd’s job is never done.
And it’s the same for every coach in every league at virtually every level of competition.
There’s always – always – an area that needs attention.
When the Mavericks went through Utah earlier this season, Jazz coach Will Hardy summed up the life of a coach pretty well.
“You never feel good when you know that no matter what happens in the game, every player is not driving home happy,” Hardy said. “That never feels good to know that somebody’s driving home feeling bad about themselves, even if the team won.
“Some guys are getting less minutes than they want. Some guys are getting no minutes, some guys didn’t play well. These guys all put a lot of pressure on themselves. There’s never a day I leave and feel great about everything. You always know there’s something about the team that needs attention. But that’s what the job is.”
Kidd knows that, all too well.
Even during a seven-game winning streak, which will be put to the test when a four-game trip opens Sunday at Indiana, a coach faces situations that must be handled.
But one of Kidd’s favorite sayings when he was playing was that winning is a great deodorant. And that makes the tough decisions that Kidd has to make a little easier.
Fans clamor when second-year guard Jaden Hardy sits out a game. They wonder why rookie O-Max Prosper doesn’t get more chances. It comes with the coaching territory. And Kidd has an answer for everybody.
“It’s called team. Just be a pro. It’s all about being a team,” he said. “He (Hardy) is going to get another opportunity. We played 10 (nine 17 minutes or more Thursday against Phoenix). We’re deep. This is the first time the Mavs have been deep in a long time.
“To be able to be patient and understand it’s about winning and when the time comes, do your job. Hardy’s been in this position already. He’s handled it well and he’ll get another chance.”
Every player wants to play more. As the legendary late Chuck Daly used to say, all players want the same thing: 48 minutes, 48 shots and $48-million.
Josh Green, Derrick Jones Jr., Maxi Kleber – everybody wants a bigger role. But the best teams know that there are roles that involve only 15 minutes on the court that can be just as important as the 38 minutes Luka Dončić or Kyrie Irving plays.
“It comes down to being a team,” Kidd said. “It’s about the shield – the Dallas Mavericks, first and foremost.
“This road trip, we’ll be able to use our depth. We’ll look at maybe a 10-man rotation, maybe 11. But we’re trying to see different combinations, the bigger group, trying to get as much time with that group. But we got to find a way to win ballgames.”
The best news is that the Mavericks are rolling now and chemistry is building by the game. It’s a strong mentality that everybody has bought into. And it’s working at both ends of the court.
Luka has made sure of that. He’s averaged two steals in the last five games and has had at least one takeaway in 22 of the last 23 games he’s played. Steals aren’t necessarily the key indicator of strong defense, but it doesn’t hurt.
“It’s not for me, it’s for my team,” he said. “My team needs it. That’s what I do for the team. They see me doing that, it gives more energy to the team.”
And success on defense has a carryover to the offensive end, Kidd said.
“No one’s complaining about shots,” he said. “If someone’s open, someone takes it. And get back and figure out the defensive rotation. It’s fun to watch.”
Indeed it is.
Briefly: Dante Exum (knee) went through practice on Saturday before the Mavericks flew to Indianapolis. Kidd said Exum will not play against the Pacers, but is going to practice again Monday. “We’ll see how he feels tomorrow and see him at practice on Monday, and see how he feels after that,” Kidd said. “He ran with the second group.” . . . Kidd also said that Saturday’s workout was dedicated to simulating scenarios that may crop up down the stretch. “(We were) splitting Luka and Kai (Kyrie Irving) up and having them run teams, being prepared for this road trip when one is in and one is out, being prepared for other guys to set up the offense, knowing that they’ll take Luka or Kai away,” he said . . . With the Mavericks stacking up a lot of wins lately, the steam is picking up for Luka in the MVP conversation. Said Kidd: “I don’t think you can win the MVP in November or December. I think it’s more likely you win it in February, March, April. And I think he’s put himself in a great position.” And, of course, Luka’s teammates see it as a no-brainer. “To me, it’s clearcut,” Josh Green said. “His averages are ridiculous. Everything about Luka’s game has really progressed this year. He’s a great leader and done an amazing job. It’s good to see.”
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