The Dallas Mavericks’ start to the 2024-25 NBA regular season has not lived up to expectations. Following their Western Conference title last season, they have struggled to reassert themselves as serious contenders. On Friday, they had an opportunity to make a statement against the Phoenix Suns but came up short in a 114-113 loss. Head coach Jason Kidd didn’t hide his frustration, delivering a strong message in the post-game press conference.
“For whatever reason, we’re getting off to a slow start, it’s gotta be addressed,” Kidd began. “We’ve talked about it, there’s gotta be action, there’s gotta be some energy,” His tone quickly escalated as he added, ”Somebody’s gotta come with some (expletive) energy. We’re (expletive) flat, so that’s where it starts.”
While Kidd’s critique was harsh, his primary frustration was directed toward the bench players. “As deep as we are, we got to get someone to (expletive) participate off the bench. Somebody has to join the party to help Kai (Irving) and Luka (Doncic) and that’s just not happening right now,” he said, clearly irritated.
The head coach deliberately excluded Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving from his criticism, acknowledging their efforts. “Again, the fatigue of running Luka and Kai 40-something minutes because our bench stinks right now,” he said.
He didn’t hold back, however, when addressing the lack of contribution from others. “It’s a team. It’s not just Luka and Kai and Klay (Thompson)… Others have to participate and that’s not happening right now. We played the whole (expletive) team tonight. We couldn’t find anybody, so we had to leave those two to carry the load and that’s unfair for those two this early in the season.”
Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks handles the ball during the NBA game at Footprint Center
Irving and Doncic shine despite the loss
Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic were the lone bright spots for Dallas. Irving delivered an impressive 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists in 41 minutes, while Doncic contributed 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists in 42 minutes.
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Their performances kept the Mavericks competitive until the final moments of the game. Despite their efforts, the Mavericks couldn’t overcome a Suns team that extended their winning streak to seven games and improved to 8-1 on the season.
Bench play makes the difference
Kidd’s frustration stemmed from the Mavericks’ lackluster bench performance. Six reserve players—Spencer Dinwiddie, Dwight Powell, Quentin Grimes, Jaden Hardy, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and Kessler Edwards—combined for just 9 points.
In contrast, Phoenix’s bench made a significant impact. Royce O’Neal scored 18 points, more than doubling the Mavericks’ total bench output, while Josh Okogie and Mason Plumlee chipped in 6 and 4 points, respectively. The disparity in bench contributions played a key role in the Suns securing the victory.
