Cooper Flagg’s arrival on the Dallas Mavericks roster generated significant excitement, with the teenager expected to make an immediate impact. However, he has looked constrained at times, particularly when asked to play out of position. It is not that he has performed poorly, but rather that he is adjusting to a new role.
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Dallas’ head coach Jason Kidd has received a lot of flak throughout the 25/26 season for playing Flagg in the Point Guard position. Even his son, in a live stream, questioned his methods. After the Mavs’ loss to the Rockets earlier today, Kidd was asked about the same again.
Flagg scored 34 points and had 12 assists, but the reporters in attendance decided to probe further on the whole “point guard vs forward” situation, and Kidd absolutely lost it.
Responding to the criticism, he said, “That’s your opinion. You guys write that bulls***.”
Kidd had to remind those in the room that he’s a former player himself, and in his prime, he was one of the best in the league. The Mavs boss had 10 All-Star selections and even became champion in 2011 with the very franchise he’s in charge of.
“That’s not… I’ve done this. I’ve played this game, I played it at a very high level,” he continued, sternly. “I know what the f*** I am doing. I don’t give a f*** what you guys write, because you guys have never played the game.”
Kidd went on to state that he’s made great players in his coaching career before, and sounded confident when he declared that he knows he’s doing a good job. “Because if I wasn’t, you wouldn’t be poking holes in what I am doing,” he stated.
Jason Kidd on criticism for playing Cooper Flagg at Point Guard: “That’s your opinion. You guys write that bulls***. That’s not — I’ve done this. I’ve played this game. I played it. I know what the f*** I’m doing. pic.twitter.com/juoMpICLWg
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) February 1, 2026
Fair play to Kidd. Journalists, of course, have not played the game at the level he has. As a result, it is reasonable to give him time and the benefit of the doubt.
He did the same with Giannis and Luka when he coached them, especially Giannis. He consistently put the ball in GA’s hands as he was coming up and made him make on-ball decisions in the half-court.
At the same time however, it is the job of the media to keep discussions going. If the whole community, including former players, keeps questioning why something is happening, it means it is something out of the ordinary. And Kidd would be experienced enough to understand that.
Maybe the reporters in Houston caught him in a bad mood following the close 111-107 loss to the Rockets today.
