Both Kidd and Mazzulla have worked through criticism throughout their tenures in Dallas and Boston.
Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd calls in a play during the second half in Game 2 of the NBA basketball Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, May 24, 2024, in Minneapolis.
collaborated to answer several questions and predict an outcome for the series, which starts Thursday in Boston.Coaching is one of the most underappreciated aspects of the playoffs. Adjustments could be the difference between a sweep, a competitive series or ultimately a championship.
Kidd knows what it takes to win a title because he’s done it as a player and as an assistant. He conceded this week that it’s “a lot harder” as a coach than as a player, but he’s rounding into the job.Boston is great, but the Mavs have come a long way since the trade deadline. Kidd deserves a lot of the credit for that, and the nod here.Sure, Mazzulla was an assistant when the Celtics lost to Golden State in the ‘22 Finals. But he’s 35 and in his second season as head coach. Losing to No.
This coaching matchup reminds me a lot of the 2011 Finals, when veteran Carlisle and his staff clearly made better chess moves than 40-year-old Spoelstra and his staff. That was Spoelstra’s third season as head coach and first Finals.Certainly Spoelstra, with titles the next two seasons, has proved he’s one of the best coaches of this generation, but back in ‘11? Carlisle was the better Finals coach.
Kidd has never been considered a great tactician, with the Mavs or in previous stops, but he has gotten the most out of this team. Mazzulla made huge progress in his second season -- thank goodness he finally uses his timeouts -- and strategically, he might actually be a little better than Kidd, especially with Sam Cassell and Charles Lee at his side.Jason Kidd has played in the NBA Finals, and Mazzulla never even played in the NBA. But that doesn’t really matter now.
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