Which team, would you say, had the worst luck during this recent NBA regular season? Some might name the Philadelphia 76ers, others might name the Washington Wizards. In terms of a gradual decline, however, the Dallas Mavericks might reign supreme. The team had to bench star player Luka Doncic for weeks after Christmas Day and eventually traded him for Anthony Davis, who also got sidelined for weeks after his Mavs debut. Later, Kyrie Irving sustained a season-ending injury, and 5 players, including Klay Thompson, also entered the Injury Report. All of this led to the Mavericks ending the regular season with a 39-43 win record, and the 10th seed in the Western Conference. While the team still has a Play-In series game to play, Jason Kidd seems to have simply given up.
The Mavericks’ head coach participated in a presser after the team’s recent 132-97 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies. For this game, the Injury Report contained the names of 7 Mavs players, including Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Dereck Lively II, etc. This meant that Spencer Dinwiddie, who took over after Kyrie Irving’s season-ending injury, was the only starter who played in the recent matchup. In light of this, a reporter asked Jason Kidd about how hard it is to play games like this, with a lot of the regular guys missing. In turn, the coach replied, “I don’t know if it’s hard. It’s just your responsibility, as a professional, to come out and do your job, and our energy was there from the start, and then it kind of just went away. And we’d never could get it back”.
If Kidd was going so far to indirectly remind his players what their responsibility was, then his patience with them seems to have reached thin ice.
Mar 31, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Brooklyn Nets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
If there is one person who has continued to show patience over time, it is Jason Kidd. Back in March 2024, the coach had downplayed the Mavericks’ losing streak by saying, “Rome wasn’t built in a day. 2011 wasn’t built in a day, right?” That patience certainly paid off, as the Mavericks made the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. However, not every situation is expected to have the same outcome. Despite this, after Luka Doncic’s trade and the increase of injuries back in February, Kidd held hope. He believed that star players sidelined would only give the backup athletes the chance to shine in the spotlight.
“Patience,” said Kidd back in February. “The group in that locker room, their grit, they’re competitive, they want an opportunity to play and they’re getting that opportunity right now due to the injuries or the illnesses… It’s a great group to be around. But for me, it’s just how important rest is so you can make the right decisions”. Over time, however, the injuries and the losing streaks took its toll. A little before mid-March, after losing to the Phoenix Suns by a 125-116 score, Kidd was forced to admit, “I’ve never seen this. Where you can’t take someone out to rest them because we had no one to put in”. The coach did his part to hold hope. Therefore, no one can blame him now for losing it.
The misfortune on the team brought on due to injuries and losses did not just affect the coach. It had a noticeable effect on the Mavs‘ locker room as a whole. Despite that, as Daniel Gafford highlighted, the team fought on.
Daniel Gafford Gave Props to Teammates Who Played Amidst “Mental Frustration.”
Daniel Gafford himself could not escape the injury bug. Since the beginning of the 2024-25 NBA season, the player had sustained ailments in 5 separate areas. His most recent ailment, a knee injury, occurred back in early April. Therefore, the backup Center saw things from both perspectives. He saw it as an injured player, and as a healthy athlete who played while other star players were sidelined. Therefore, during the recent presser, Gafford took the opportunity to applaud those who stayed strong amid such difficulties.
“It’s just a series of obstacles and adversity that we dealt with throughout the season. You know, it was a lot of mental frustration, lot of emotion, lot of stuff that went on throughout the team, injury-wise. And I felt the way we handled it is the way, you know, any other team would have. To just come out, and keep doing the same thing, as we do, on a day-to-day basis,” said Gafford.
He further added “Despite all the bodies that we lost, we still had guys come out every day and then put that jersey on, just go out and play hard. So, it’s just a series of just bad circumstances, I would say. And, I feel like, you know, the way the guys handle themselves, I give them their props. They had to play a good amount of the season without a majority of the guys on the team”.
Mar 17, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) reacts during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
The Mavericks still have a chance to make an impression in the postseason. For that, however, the team will have to first defeat the Sacramento Kings. The Mavs have lost 6 of their last 10 games against the Kings. This includes all 3 played in the recent season. Therefore, to avail of this final opportunity, Jason Kidd will have to reignite that hope once again.
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