The Benching of Jason Kidd

March 2nd, 2008 Posted in Avery Johnson

Of course by now everyone knows the story and what happened. With the Mavs down 2 with 34 seconds left against the Spurs, in San Antonio, Jason Kidd sat and watched the end of the game on the bench. Not through just one possession, but two. Marc Stein really summed up the problems on the Daily Dime at ESPN.com:

Not even two weeks to register fresh doubts that Johnson’s ego can prevent him from overthinking or overtaking the game or that he’s really ready to relinquish control of his offense to a veteran point guard who doesn’t need to be micromanaged.

In just the fifth game of Kidd’s Dallas rebirth, Johnson stunningly and inexplicably benched Kidd for the Mavs’ final two possessions in crunch time against their biggest rival. Two possessions, spanning nearly 35 seconds.

That’s the same Kidd who Dallas worked so hard to bring back because, in Johnson’s words, this team needed someone after those playoff collapses against Miami and Golden State who “knows how to finish games.”

Enough has been said about this by now and it’s not going to happen again. But the fact that it happened in the first place is what caused this site and all the accompanying uproar. This wasn’t Avery’s first big screw-up over the last two years though. Since the 2006 Finals, when the Mavs blew a 2-0 lead against the Heat, things have been going downhill for Avery and the Mavs.

Blowing the 2-0 lead, possibly pushing the team too hard during the ‘06-’07 season, the disastrous first round exit against the Warriors. Over the next few days and weeks FireAvery.com will be looking back at these cases and see if it’s going to be time to let Avery go here in the near future.


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  1. 4 Responses to “The Benching of Jason Kidd”

  2. By Paul on Mar 3, 2008 at 11:24:53 am

    Why Avery and Donnie Must Go-
    1. Got out-coached by Pat Rieley
    2.Got Out-coached by Don Nelson
    3.Stubborn as a Mule, it’s always the players fault
    4.Off season acquisotions: Trent Hassle, Eddie Jones etc…(This went on for two off seasons now)
    5.When other teams were trying to sign big name free agents, they ‘liked what they saw’ in this team (Talent evaluation debacle)
    6.Defense- Forced out Del Harris, because he wants ‘Yes men’ in the staff. Since Del is gone defensive intensity has gone to hell in a hand basket. If avery is a defensive minded coach, where is he now?
    7.Players are tired of his ‘ruling with an iron fist’ philosophy
    8.Tried to force leadership on Dirk when a fifth grader will tell you that although leadership is earned or aquired, yet it requires the proper skills set to execute….so avery couldn’t pick up dirk’s strong points..
    9.We are ‘pacing’ to get the palyoffs attitude…He wasnt smart enough to figure out that the West is closng the gap on the Mavs and therefore,every game was meaningful and the reason you step on the court is to win…
    10.Then comes the Spurs… with 34 seconds and with ball in your hands, you bench the best closer (according to him in the Kidd press conference).
    11.What makes you think that Donnie is loyal to Cuban, when he knows big Nellie will hire him in Golden State?
    12.Avery was a good move back then, the right thing to do, in the wake of Katrina, when sympathies were overflowing and it bought media attention to have somebody from there in a visible position as the head basketball coach of the Dallas Mavericks.
    13. Having said that, let me conclude by saying it was time for him to go after the second back to back monumental collapse last post season. Katrina is come and gone and they are rebuilding to make it look like a chocolate city out there…Now its time for Mavs to start the rebuilding process as thay will never win a championship with this group of coaches and the front office.

  3. By Cherokee Parks on Mar 3, 2008 at 5:14:26 pm

    The players do not look like they are having fun playing under Avery. We might as well still have Don Nelson , at least the regular season games were more fun. Either way Mavericks wont go to the finals.

  4. By Paul in Plano on Mar 6, 2008 at 10:28:21 am

    Also, forgot 2 more points, until BaD radio or GAC mentioned it recently.
    14. Rotations- Avery is still experimenting with his starting lineup, what does that do to stability and chemistry? ( well… according to it’s still the training camp!)
    15. HE INHERITED A GREAT TEAM!!! (let’s not forget that), A future hall of famer and a MVP in Dirk, an overall good team that was knocking on the door of excellence.

    —Don’t get me wrong, I like the man.. I think he’s a good guy, but NOT THE RIGHT CHOICE TO LEAD US TO A CHAMPIONSHIP—

  5. By steven on Mar 7, 2008 at 7:54:07 pm

    how much longer will it take before mark cuban lets avery screw up the only reason avery is being like this is because he is so cocky because he was the fastest coach to 100 and 150 wins and he let it get to him and that made him think he knew everything and no one else is right im at a point right now if we get blown out a few more times im done with the mavericks i say we just purposely lose the rest and get a lottery pick in ‘09 and get a point gaurd like kidd and have kidd teach him

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