Ex-Lakers coach joins Jason Kidd's staff in Dallas Mavericks ahead of 2024-25 season: "It took a lot of begging"
Jason Kidd added another experienced play-caller to his coaching staff in Dallas. The Hall of Famer, after leading the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, has got more support with the presence of Frank Vogel. Kidd was on Vogel’s staff when the LA Lakers won the 2020 NBA championship.
Marc Stein reported Vogel's attendance at the Mavericks’ training camp in Las Vegas. The NBA Insider added, after a chat with Kidd, that Vogel would be a coaching consultant.
The 2011 champ with the Dallas Mavericks had this to say about Frank Vogel’s addition:
“It took a lot of begging, but he was talked into it and I’m happy he said yes.”
Kidd and Vogel are familiar with each other. Besides working together with the LA Lakers for a few seasons, the two sparred recently. The former has been with the Mavericks since 2021 while the latter handled the Phoenix Suns last year.
After the Dallas Mavericks lost to the Boston Celtics in last year’s Finals, a handful of NBA observers thought Jason Kidd was out-coached by his Celtics counterpart, Joe Mazzulla. Boston won the series in five games with some big help from Mazzulla's creative strategies.
Frank Vogel has coached a team to a championship and can build elite defenses with the right collection of players. Kidd will likely lean on him a little in those two areas to guide the Mavericks back to the Finals next season.
Jason Kidd’s defense will need to adjust without Derrick Jones Jr. next season
Last season, Jason Kidd turned around the Dallas Mavericks’ middling defense following the arrivals of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford. The two drastically improved Dallas’ size and athleticism to protect the paint.
Arguably Kidd’s best move, however, was moving Derrick Jones Jr. into the starting lineup. Jones became the team's best perimeter stopper and the advanced stats backed up his impact. The lanky forward was in the 92nd percentile in defensive +/-. Dallas' defense dropped when he wasn't on the floor.
OKC Thunder coach Mark Daigneault, the 2024 Coach of the Year winner, sang Jones' praise during the playoffs in May.
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving deservedly had the spotlight but Dallas’ ability to slow down opponents was just as important. From a middle-of-the-pack unit, the Mavericks had one of the most efficient defenses in the playoffs.
Jason Kidd will have to adjust following the departure of Derrick Jones Jr. The Mavericks will be asking Klay Thompson to take over the spot left by the defensive ace. Thompson’s defense is a question mark after Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr partly benched him because of poor play on that end. If he struggles on offense and the defense fails, it would be interesting to see how Kidd adjusts.
The Mavs also landed Naji Marshall, another athletic win, in the offseason. Starting him over Thompson will take guts, particularly since the legendary shooter wasn’t happy in that role with Golden State. Kidd could use Frank Vogel’s experience if that situation develops further next season.
Mavs fans will be excited to get over the hump next season. If Jason Kidd's defensive schemes hold up, Dallas could have another deep playoff run.