3 Mavericks on Thin Ice Heading Into the Playoffs

2. Jason Kidd

It's difficult to say that Jason Kidd has done a poor job with the Mavericks. In his third season as the head coach, he just had his second 50-win season. The season in between, however, was an absolute disaster, with Dallas missing the playoffs entirely.

One conference finals appearance and one finish in the lottery makes Kidd's head coaching grade in Dallas TBD. Considering his mixed bag of a record with the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks prior to coming to Dallas, Kidd still has to prove himself that he is the right coach for this team.

When you are coaching two superstars like Doncic and Irving, your fate is connected at the hip to your stars. You will last however long your stars decide. If the Mavericks end up flaming out in the first round, Kidd can easily become the scapegoat.

In his defense, Kidd has established a baseline of defensive competence in Dallas. Given the mediocre defensive talent on this team, that should certainly be considered a success. Playoffs are a different beast, however.

Kidd is lucky to have one of the greatest playoff performers in the NBA in Luka Doncic. Yet, that could be a double-edged sword. If a coach fails despite having Doncic, they will end up receiving most of the blame.