‘I do know what I am doing’: Mavericks’ Kidd defends enjoying Flagg at level guard

Jason Kidd was not within the temper to debate his teaching philosophies on Saturday night time.

The Dallas Mavericks bench boss spoke to reporters shortly after a 111-107 loss to the Houston Rockets, and when requested about “nationwide criticism” for taking part in 2025 first-overall choose Cooper Flagg at level guard, he did not mince phrases.

“Criticism? That is your opinion,” Kidd stated. “You guys write that bull—-. I’ve executed this. I’ve performed the sport.

“I performed it at a really excessive stage. I do know what the (expletive) I am doing. I do not give a (expletive) what you guys write since you guys have by no means performed the sport. I construct gamers, so I do know what the (expletive) I am doing. To take criticism, it solely makes me higher. As a result of if I wasn’t doing it proper, you guys would not be poking holes in what I’ve executed.”

Kidd then left the rostrum after taking no additional questions.

His feedback got here after the Mavericks’ fourth consecutive loss — dropping to 19-30 on the season, Eleventh within the West — regardless of back-to-back stellar performances from the rookie phenom.

On Thursday, Flagg put up 49 factors and 10 rebounds in 38 minutes, however Dallas fell to the Charlotte Hornets on the again of Kon Knueppel’s career-high 34-point night time. Regardless of shedding to his as soon as Duke College teammate, Flagg made some historical past as his near-50-point efficiency set a brand new single-game scoring document for a teen in NBA historical past.

The 19-year-old then adopted that up with a 34-point, 12-rebound and 5-assist outing in opposition to Houston on Saturday whereas shedding to the Texas rival.

Whereas Flagg has undoubtedly seen his fair proportion of successes — averaging 19.5 factors, 6.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists (fourth amongst rookies) and 1.3 steals — as Kidd’s empowered him to deal with the ball regardless of coming into the league as a ahead, the teen has additionally confronted some rising pains.

He is second amongst rookies together with his 2.2 turnovers per sport and his minus-2.7 rank sits Eleventh-worst within the NBA for first-year gamers (min. 25 video games). These struggles got here into the highlight in that Thursday loss to the Hornets when, moments after tying the sport with a triple, Flagg turned the ball over and fouled Knueppel, who then drained the game-winning free throws.

Flagg is not the primary ahead Kidd has inspired to play on-ball extra early in his profession, nevertheless, because the 52-year-old as soon as pushed a rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo to do the identical when he was teaching the Milwaukee Bucks.

Kidd was in the end changed by Mike Budenholzer when Antetokounmpo reached his two-time MVP stage, however not earlier than serving to the Greek celebrity win Most Improved Participant in 2017 whereas making all-NBA (second-team), all-defence and all-star the identical yr.

Time will inform if he can replicate that success with Flagg, however it seems he will not be altering his strategy anytime quickly both approach.