Is Kidd really the best head coach for this team?

[MrGoat]

Do you guys think if we had Rick right now that the Mavs would be struggling to score?

I have yet to see an adjustment that Kidd has made that makes you go, that really helped win the game/series.

They'd be scoring better for sure. They'd also be giving up 120 points per game with Dwight Powell taking the majority of the center minutes

[Chicagojk]

I am not sure if Kidd is a good coach or not. I had serious questions about him. He has had two really good runs as a Mavs coach. We will see if this run has any legs.

I do think he is really good not showing up players. I can only think of 1 or 2 instances where he yanked a player out of the game after a bad play. I think they were both two of our youngsters too. He typically is very cautious to make a scene when taking a player out. I think this gives his players freedom and confidence.

I also think he has been pretty good developing talent. I was really impressed how he found minutes for Jaden during the regular season. That is the type of thing that pays off down the road. I believe playing time should be earned but he has made a conscious decision to find playing time for Jaden. I assume OMax may be in a similar stage next year as a guy out of the normal rotation but try to find him minutes during the regular season to see how he responds.

While I would like to see a coach more animated, it could be argued that his demeanor is probably the best for a Luka team.

[Chicagojk]

It was one game but props to Kidd. I checked out a Clippers Reddit board before the game and they were laughing their butts off with Kidd saying they want to limit Harden's threes and try to make him finish at the rim. The Clippers fans thought this was a stupid strategy. Well, it worked last night. Harden didn't finish inside and the height at the rim also helped lead to his 4 turnovers.

I expect a better game in game 6 from both Harden and George, but the team executed really well last night.

[BigDirk41]

One of my biggest complaints with Kidd is that he doesn't stand up for his team. A few games ago, the announcers said Kidd was the only coach in the NBA that didn't receive a tech this season. To me, that's ridiculous. That means he never goes to bat when his team needs to be stood up for. Sometimes it takes a tech or ejection to start getting some calls go your way or to light a fire under your team.

[fifteenth]

One of my biggest complaints with Kidd is that he doesn't stand up for his team. A few games ago, the announcers said Kidd was the only coach in the NBA that didn't receive a tech this season. To me, that's ridiculous. That means he never goes to bat when his team needs to be stood up for. Sometimes it takes a tech or ejection to start getting some calls go your way or to light a fire under your team.

Watching him on the sidelines, seeing him interact with refs, hearing what how he tries to coach Luka on talking to refs, I think he talks to the refs a lot, but just doesn't let himself lose his cool while talking to them. I don't think that's a bad strategy.

[DallasMaverick]

One of my biggest complaints with Kidd is that he doesn't stand up for his team. A few games ago, the announcers said Kidd was the only coach in the NBA that didn't receive a tech this season. To me, that's ridiculous. That means he never goes to bat when his team needs to be stood up for. Sometimes it takes a tech or ejection to start getting some calls go your way or to light a fire under your team.

Perhaps in his younger years he was prone to losing control and getting animated.  Might have led to those domestic abuse charges.

Maybe he's learned a lot more self-control since then.

[omahen]

Perhaps in his younger years he was prone to losing control and getting animated.  Might have led to those domestic abuse charges.

Maybe he's learned a lot more self-control since then.

I think the best coaches "lose it" on purpose, because sometimes this is the only way left to change the dynamic. Either to force a frendlier whistle or (more common) to put a fire under the players who were just not responding. This doesn't mean they lose it all the time and complain to refs continusly, it means calculated outbursts here and there during the season. I think RC is very good at this. Malone is a second example that comes to my mind.

[DallasMaverick]

I think the best coaches "lose it" on purpose, because sometimes this is the only way left to change the dynamic. Either to force a frendlier whistle or (more common) to put a fire under the players who were just not responding. This doesn't mean they lose it all the time and complain to refs continusly, it means calculated outbursts here and there during the season. I think RC is very good at this. Malone is a second example that comes to my mind.

I think it’s easy to look for a stereotype, perhaps modeling a coach that’s been successful in the past. Maybe RC or Malone. Or Spoelstra. And to think “if we only had THAT kind of coach, we’d be successful.

But success and winning don’t always follow a stereotype. Remember Bruce Bochy, manager of the World Series-winning Rangers? 

Super laid-back. Super self-controlled. Never rants. Doesn’t yell at players and coaches. Can’t possibly light a fire under his players, or get favorable calls from umps.

Except he’s a champion now.

Can Kidd win? We’ll see.

[The Jom]

I am not sure if Kidd is a good coach or not.  I had serious questions about him.  He has had two really good runs as a Mavs coach.  We will see if this run has any legs. . . .

In a nutshell.

[MrGoat]

It was one game but props to Kidd.  I checked out a Clippers Reddit board before the game and they were laughing their butts off with Kidd saying they want to limit Harden's threes and try to make him finish at the rim.  The Clippers fans thought this was a stupid strategy.  Well, it worked last night.  Harden didn't finish inside and the height at the rim also helped lead to his 4 turnovers. 

I expect a better game in game 6 from both Harden and George, but the team executed really well last night.

They were right to laugh when he said that, but Kidd lied and actually tried to shut down the rim contrary to what he said, which is actually a good sign that he can be deceptive and adjust. One of Lively or Gafford were in the whole time until Powell was subbed in for garbage time in game 5. Kidd actually made an adjustment, Kleber as the 5 for the 4th quarter was a complete disaster in game 4 just like it was in the regular season when he tried it for a while in the regular season post trade deadline. With this team if Kleber is playing more minutes at the 5 than the 4 then you're doing something wrong, the Clippers fans were laughing because it sounded like an indication Kidd was going to go small again and neuter our defense again but he didn't and actually made the obvious adjustment and gave Lively the largest bulk of the big minutes for the first time this series.

[The Jom]

. . . With this team if Kleber is playing more minutes at the 5 than the 4 then you're doing something wrong . . . .

I disagree with this and don’t think the numbers support you.

[fifteenth]

They were right to laugh when he said that, but Kidd lied and actually tried to shut down the rim... 

I think the Mavs' goal was to do both. Discourage Harden from taking 3s and funnel him towards the swatting arms of DL, DG, PJW and DJJ.

[MrGoat]

I think the Mavs' goal was to do both. Discourage Harden from taking 3s and funnel him towards the swatting arms of DL, DG, PJW and DJJ.

Which was a lot easier with the adjustment Kidd made in this game by staying big and not letting Ty Lue dictate to him. Instead of Maxi just allowing the Harden drives, the 3s, and the easy Zu Alcindor finishes as the 5 all at the same time you at least have some of those taken away with a real 5 in and allow your perimeter defenders to fully defend and box out. Kidd actually deserves credit for adjusting from his massive mistake in game 4

[Scott41theMavs]

Which was a lot easier with the adjustment Kidd made in this game by staying big and not letting Ty Lue dictate to him. Instead of Maxi just allowing the Harden drives, the 3s, and the easy Zu Alcindor finishes as the 5 all at the same time you at least have some of those taken away with a real 5 in and allow your perimeter defenders to fully defend and box out. Kidd actually deserves credit for adjusting from his massive mistake in game 4

Zu Alcindor, lol.

[fifteenth]

Zu Alcindor, lol.

I concur