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[F Gump]

Thanks for posting this.  I have slightly different interpretations on a couple of things, but those tweets and the early reaction to them were not in alignment with what was said.  The last line above is probably the most important since Kidd hasn’t even had a practice yet..

Thanks. Yes, we mostly agree, but differ on how we see Kidd's meaning in some of what he said. I take it as more of a shoot-from-the-hip session that was (intentionally) offering nothing of substance, nor promising anything to anyone other than the obvious, while still trying to give a semblance of answers to Stein's questions. We'll see.
 
I also agree it's early, good point. 

OTOH, I think Kidd does have some impressions already. While they start camp in just a few days, the Mavs (like all teams) started having practices together in Sept, weeks before camp. It's not camp, but Kidd and the other mgmt are already getting a really good close-up view of what they might expect, with soft input from coaches to players too.

[omahen]

Thanks for posting this.  I have slightly different interpretations on a couple of things, but those tweets and the early reaction to them were not in alignment with what was said.  The last line above is probably the most important since Kidd hasn’t even had a practice yet.

I think they think they have two very talented rookies they want to develop.  You can’t bring them along together (in the lineup at the same time) and expect to win.  I think part of the logic of maybe starting a rookie is so both can get minutes…just not simultaneously.  

Kidd made it fairly clear Josh and OMax are probably competing for a starting spot.  It wouldn’t shock me if OMax got the nod.  It won’t necessarily be because he’s better than some of the other options as much as it will be a great place to hide him alongside The Big Three and a center.  There is enough O on the floor with Luka, Kyrie and GWill hitting over 40% from the corner and a lob threat that OMax hitting 3’s is a luxury and not a necessity.  That might not be the case alongside backups.  Starting and getting only 18 minutes would certainly be a possibility.

He did say positive things about everyone he spoke about, but he didn’t speak about everyone.  No mention of Hardy or Curry.  After inferring Josh and OMax would compete to start and after talking about there being three centers, he mentioned Exum, DJJ and Maxi and talked about SMOTY Hardaway.  That’s 11 players if you only count two of the three centers.  It is certainly possible there is no meaning to who he mentioned and who he didn’t.  Or, maybe the 11 who were mentioned are the top 11.  I was encouraged that they seem committed to working Lively and OMax in and that Kidd and Nico seem to be on the same page.  I’m probably more interested in how players will be used and whether Luka and Kyrie will get more time together or not than who starts the first month of the season.  I could care less who Kidd wants to start in pre-season and don’t see anything in his interview with Stein that should have raised the ire it raised here prior to your post.

I don't think the interview caused ire, other than perhaps one post. But I think it is fair to express concern about such statements, because:
1. Mavs have a recent history of badly mishandling player situations. 
2. I think who starts or doesn't is very important. If nothing less, we can just observe the immediate response this interview had in the media - the starter discussion started immediately. That is why I think one should be very careful with these statements. Especially when you are in a middle of negotiations with one of those players involved (assuming the deal hasn't been reached yet). I think it is a much different message to a player - "we can't offer you a huge deal but we see you as crucial part of the team" compared to "we don't think you are great which is why we are offering you a mediocre deal". 
3. I think you should start your five best players, with the exception of 6th man specialist. I very much disagree that potential suspect shooting from Omax will have less impact on the starting unit compared to the bench one. Defenses will quickly figure that out and other Mavs players will have way more problems playing if opponents will be leaving one player open, taking the risk if he can hit it. Also on the other hand, a weaker player will have less problems playing against weaker bench units than against stronger starting ones.
4. There is value in bringing players in slowly and let them earn their spot. We may have our doubts about Green, but it is his position to lose, not his position to win, imho. I think Omax needs to show he is better. Show that coming from the bench. You lose nothing if you bring your guy in slowly. If he is better he will quickly show that and get his spot. But if the rookie is just thrown into the fire, you risk a disgruntled player on one hand and the rookie getting too much flak if he underperforms. 
5. I have absolutely zero problems with experimenting in preseason games. But I think Kidd went a bit too far, especially with what could be read between the lines or with what wasn't said. He spoke great praise about rookies, which is great. What he didn't say is spoke great praise about Green, great expectations he has for him and looking forward to the next step he expects him to take. That part was missing badly, imho.
6. To sum it all up. My main issue is with the signals Mavs are giving. Up to this interview, the signals were Green is untouchable. Great, no problem with that. However, this interview made me wonder, why is he so untouchable as it doesn't seem they really think about him that highly. It is totally possible Kidd was just a bit "careless" about what he was saying and perhaps he just forgot to mention things I was missing, that would put a much different light on the situation. But, we live in a world where everything is analysed and highly paid professionals should be very careful and prepared about what and how they say things.

[Hypermav]

Kidd "I don't always tell you guys the truth"

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

He clearly singled out Luka, Kyrie and GW as locked starters, as "the big three". So reading between the lines he says, the other two starting jobs are opened at least to some extent. Which again, reading between the lines, means Green is not a lock. 

I think this is more or less in line with what Green has shown so far. It means Mavs are not convinced at this point that he is a sure thing. I could assume this means they are not prepared to give him "starter" money at this point. A position I could agree with, as I myself am far from convinced that Green can fill that role long term. Based on this I would expect that Green signs for max MLE level money at this point or he waits for restricted free agency. It would be pretty strange if Mavs paid him 15 mil or more per while not being sure what he is.  

It is up to debate if it is smart or not to "disclose" such positions publicly while negotiations are still not finished. As I said last season regarding Wood situation - starting or not is imho an important topic for players, especially in their contract years. We clearly saw it did impact Wood and the end result was bad for everyone involved.

Edit: one could draw many similarities regarding Green situation with how they handled Brunson. Sure Green is RFA and they have more control, but still. I think players also value if teams value them. Can we say that about Mavs in the Green situation? I am ok if they see him as just a role player in the long term. But does he sees himself the same or he wants more. If yes, wouldn't it make more sense to trade him than risk having an unhappy player that might be looking more for a situation where the team would value him in a similar way than he does. Of course, on the other hand, it is totally possible that Green himself doesn't see himself as more than a role player. I think the outcome of the negotiations will tell us a lot about that.

I agree with all of this.  My post wasn't supposed to elude to Green having a starting role locked up, it was more responding to some folks seeming to think he said Omax and Lively will be starters.  I will say that while I'm all for a Green vs Omax competition for the final wing spot (basing this off his Hardaway 6th man comments), I think that it speaks much more to Omax than to what they think of Green because I still think their unwillingness (so far) to include him in any sort of trade package tells us that SOMEONE in the front office seems to value him.

I also agree that it's up for debate whether or not this method of using the media is smart and I definitely fall on the "this is so dumb by Jason Kidd" side of the fence.  We just watched this blow up in his face last year.  This is a dumb man who thinks he's being clever when in reality he's fracturing relationships with players in the locker room.

[surfpuckmd]

Mine was the angriest reaction on the board to the twitter excerpts that were posted.  The actual podcast interview wasn't as bad as I expected but it definitely wasn't good. 

Kidd is fairly careless when he speaks publicly and has a clear history of treating players differently in the media.   Listing Grant Williams as part of a clear "top 3" along with Luka and Kyrie may seem harmless initially.  However, later implying that Josh Green will be competing with OMax for a starting spot is an insult to Josh Green.  Green has already proven a lot as a Maverick.  OMax is a late first-rounder who has literally yet to play an NBA minute.  I don't see why Grant Williams is already part of the Mavs "Core 3" while Josh Green is threatened to lose his starting spot to a rookie.   There is no way that Josh Green listened to that interview and felt good about Kidd's comments.

Doing this in the middle of Josh Green's contract extension discussion makes this much worse.  With any business relationship, money is very important.  However, you also want people to feel good about where they work and feel they are valued.  Organization and player relationships are extremely important in the NBA.  That is exactly the reason Nico Harrison was hired as our General Manager.  Kidd's interview undermines that relationship with Josh Green.  Kidd publicly treats him as an afterthought-  not a priority.  

I have similar thoughts on the center position.  Dwight Powell receives a lot of criticism on this board but he has played well for us for a long time.  He signed a discount contract to stay with the Mavericks because he obviously likes being on this team.  Saying Lively has a chance to start before we have even started training camp is also an insult to Dwight.

Kidd could have praised his rookies without insulting his veterans.  It's a careless interview from a coach with a history of treating his players poorly.

[SleepingHero]

https://x.com/kt_3410/status/1705621526144258062?s=46&t=Fmdr94oXagcEyy75KJqaFg

KT (@KT_3410)
Tim McMahon says the Mavs are more optimistic about Lively now than in Summer League. Looks like he’s picked up on a lot of things

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

Thanks for posting this.  I have slightly different interpretations on a couple of things, but those tweets and the early reaction to them were not in alignment with what was said.  The last line above is probably the most important since Kidd hasn’t even had a practice yet.

I think they think they have two very talented rookies they want to develop.  You can’t bring them along together (in the lineup at the same time) and expect to win.  I think part of the logic of maybe starting a rookie is so both can get minutes…just not simultaneously.  

Kidd made it fairly clear Josh and OMax are probably competing for a starting spot.  It wouldn’t shock me if OMax got the nod.  It won’t necessarily be because he’s better than some of the other options as much as it will be a great place to hide him alongside The Big Three and a center.  There is enough O on the floor with Luka, Kyrie and GWill hitting over 40% from the corner and a lob threat that OMax hitting 3’s is a luxury and not a necessity.  That might not be the case alongside backups.  Starting and getting only 18 minutes would certainly be a possibility.

He did say positive things about everyone he spoke about, but he didn’t speak about everyone.  No mention of Hardy or Curry.  After inferring Josh and OMax would compete to start and after talking about there being three centers, he mentioned Exum, DJJ and Maxi and talked about SMOTY Hardaway.  That’s 11 players if you only count two of the three centers.  It is certainly possible there is no meaning to who he mentioned and who he didn’t.  Or, maybe the 11 who were mentioned are the top 11.  I was encouraged that they seem committed to working Lively and OMax in and that Kidd and Nico seem to be on the same page.  I’m probably more interested in how players will be used and whether Luka and Kyrie will get more time together or not than who starts the first month of the season.  I could care less who Kidd wants to start in pre-season and don’t see anything in his interview with Stein that should have raised the ire it raised here prior to your post.

IMO, OMax getting the nod is the necessity of having a 2nd SF (with Luka being the 1st).  A 3 (true) forward, 1 guard, 1 center lineup is ideal for this roster.  I'm so glad Bullock got traded for this reason.

Putting J.Green to semi-pasture makes all the sense in the world for the extension talks, but is really terrible asset management.  A young talent to which you still have the Bird's rights to is a huge asset, unless you're not showcasing him.  This reeks of a combination the Brunson/Wood situations.

[Chicagojk]

https://x.com/kt_3410/status/1705621526144258062?s=46&t=Fmdr94oXagcEyy75KJqaFg

KT (@KT_3410)
Tim McMahon says the Mavs are more optimistic about Lively now than in Summer League. Looks like he’s picked up on a lot of things

I will be interesting to see how determined the Mavs to get minutes for Omax and Lively.   Both will have plenty of rough spots.  OMAX should be further ahead than Lively.   What is interesting is neither player is going to be asked to do much on offense, right away.   So can either of them learn the schemes and then attach themselves to one of our stars?  That will probably be easier for Lively imo.  

I said last year, if Green and Jaden could play we would be in a much better spot moving forward.   Lively and OMAX is the same, but even more important imo.  I would love to be here a year for now with a strong feeling both are long term fits here.    I think finding a 3rd/4th best player is not an impossible task as one of our final moves….even if we had to lose a young player or 2.  Having that young, cheap labor to go along with that thought is what brings it all together.

[KillerLeft]

I said last year, if Green and Jaden could play we would be in a much better spot moving forward.   Lively and OMAX is the same, but even more important imo.  I would love to be here a year for now with a strong feeling both are long term fits here.    I think finding a 3rd/4th best player is not an impossible task as one of our final moves….even if we had to lose a young player or 2.  Having that young, cheap labor to go along with that thought is what brings it all together.

For sure. Win or lose this season, if we are sitting here next season feeling confident about maybe 3 of those 4 guys, it's a completely different world we'll be living in. That's exciting.

[IamDougieFresh]

The most important info we got is Tim off the bench. Great news. As someone with confidence in OMax, Hardy, Lively and Green I’m just going to chill and wait for more info.

[KillerLeft]

The most important info we got is Tim off the bench. Great news. As someone with confidence in OMax, Hardy, Lively and Green I’m just going to chill and wait for more info.

Yeah, that's a good way to look at it.

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

We do have to couple the wanting to build for the future with winning now. Even though big minutes for the youngsters puts us in a better position for the future, we can break Luka's spirit like we did last year.

[Scott41theMavs]

I have similar thoughts on the center position.  Dwight Powell receives a lot of criticism on this board but he has played well for us for a long time.  He signed a discount contract to stay with the Mavericks because he obviously likes being on this team.  Saying Lively has a chance to start before we have even started training camp is also an insult to Dwight.

You had me until this, which I had to do a double-take to realize that it wasn't tongue-in-cheek. Hopefully Dwight is a bright enough bulb to realize he isn't being paid minimum wage to be a starter, and that that was decided before contract negotiations even began. 

If Dwight starts more than 10 total games this year, and that only in the event of injuries, that means we're tanking, and should be looking into Luka's trade market. Period.

[Scott41theMavs]

We do have to couple the wanting to build for the future with winning now.  Even though big minutes for the youngsters puts us in a better position for the future, we can break Luka's spirit like we did last year.

Once again, an issue of veteran player brightness or the lack thereof. I hope to goodness that Nico and co. sat down with Luka prior to the draft and said, "Look, we royally effed up your first few years here, and we have to do a bit of a reset. Our asset cupboard is so bare that any band-aid moves won't really lead to us winning and will end up with you walking and no future to look forward to either. We're going youth movement here. We beg of you, trust us to draft the young talent we need. We'll get you and Kai's buddy Grant Williams, and try to be opportunistic otherwise. Our success level this year is going to have a lot to do with how you and Kai can mesh together as the immensely talented professionals that you are, and on how well Josh, Jaden, and our rookies perform. Whether or not that works, we will not make any band-aid panic trades that mortgage the future. Whether this year works or not, we will be well-positioned next year with assets to make a trade that is far more than just a band-aid. This is the way. This is the only correct way to move forward we have left ourselves. But we love you, we know you're loyal to our fans and our club, and we are making the solitarily-available right decision to ensure a successful future for you in Dallas. It may or may not work this year, but in any event, please recognize that this is the only way that's going to avoid a Lebron-first Cleveland run situation." 

If Luka is a bright guy, he sees that and doesn't need them to tell him this. But it would have still been good player relations anyway.

[IamDougieFresh]

In other Mavs news, I'm almost done with my book - The Dwight Powell Psyop: How a Little Hustle Tricked 69% of Mavs Fans

[mvossman]

You had me until this, which I had to do a double-take to realize that it wasn't tongue-in-cheek. Hopefully Dwight is a bright enough bulb to realize he isn't being paid minimum wage to be a starter, and that that was decided before contract negotiations even began. 

If Dwight starts more than 10 total games this year, and that only in the event of injuries, that means we're tanking, and should be looking into Luka's trade market. Period.

While I am not remotely worried about Powell feeling disrespect that he might not start, that second paragraph is complete hyperbole.  Don't get the Powell hate on this board, especially now that he signed a 4 million contract to do whatever the team needs.  If that means he has to start some games because Holmes is toast and Lively is not ready, its not the end of the world.

[IamDougieFresh]

Don't get the Powell hate on this board, especially now that he signed a 4 million contract to do whatever the team needs.

You guys crack me up. Dwight lovers are a clear majority. I could be one if his pay aligned with his value (now it does) and he played the correct amount. (garbage time and injury depth)

If that means he has to start some games because Holmes is toast and Lively is not ready, its not the end of the world.

Not the end of the world, just the end of the season.

[DallasMaverick]

You had me until this, which I had to do a double-take to realize that it wasn't tongue-in-cheek. Hopefully Dwight is a bright enough bulb to realize he isn't being paid minimum wage to be a starter, and that that was decided before contract negotiations even began. 

If Dwight starts more than 10 total games this year, and that only in the event of injuries, that means we're tanking, and should be looking into Luka's trade market. Period.

I’ll take the over on Dwight starting 10 games.

Also 50 on the win total.

[WildArkieBoy]

I’ll take the over on Dwight starting 10 games.

Also 50 on the win total.

Dwight is a dedicated, serviceable journeyman with a great attitude, but not a starter on a good team.  I don't see how he can be faulted for being what he is.  It's the team's fault if they have no one better to start ahead of him.

[Scott41theMavs]

I’ll take the over on Dwight starting 10 games.

Also 50 on the win total.

Cocaine is a helluva drug...