Jason Kidd blames Thompson’s defense for the Mavericks’ struggles.

Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Jason Kidd did not hold back when discussing Klay Thompson’s limited minutes in the third quarter of the Dallas Mavericks’ 132-117 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Mavs were outscored 30-16 in that period, and Jason Kidd made a controversial decision to bench Thompson and P.J. Washington early in the quarter. When asked about it after the game, Kidd made it clear that the decision was based on defensive struggles.

“Well, we were trying to get stops. You have to figure out how to stop the leak. They’re scoring, we’re having trouble stopping them, so we brought him and P.J. out, and that’s when P.J. was done for the night.

So just looking at our defense, guarding the 3-point line, we just did not do a good job tonight.”

The decision to single out Thompson’s defense raised eyebrows, especially considering he was the only starter with a positive plus-minus for the game.

Thompson finished with 16 points, two rebounds, and five assists, shooting 5-of-14 from the field and 4-of-9 from three-point range.

While his shooting efficiency wasn’t elite, he was still one of the Mavericks’ more effective players on the night.

Kidd’s decision becomes even more questionable when considering who replaced Thompson. Spencer Dinwiddie, the player who took on the bulk of Thompson’s minutes in that stretch, struggled badly.

Dinwiddie went 0-for-3 from deep, finished with a negative-12 plus-minus, and was completely ineffective in slowing down Milwaukee’s offensive attack.

The Mavs were getting crushed inside, largely due to the absences of Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford, yet Kidd chose to target Thompson instead of addressing the real defensive issues.

What made Kidd’s comments even more confusing was the fact that Thompson has shown defensive flashes this season.

Just two nights earlier, in a win against the Hornets, Thompson posted a 96.7 defensive rating and recorded two blocks, showcasing his ability to defend effectively.

His defensive metrics for the season may not be elite, but he has still been serviceable—certainly not a glaring liability to warrant being benched at a crucial juncture.

The decision to pull Thompson also hurt the Mavs offensively. Despite their defensive struggles, Dallas needed spacing and shot-making to keep up with the Bucks’ firepower.

Thompson, shooting 41.8% from deep in February, has been one of the team’s most reliable shooters. Taking him out when the Mavs desperately needed perimeter offense was a questionable call at best.

For a player that Kidd himself praised earlier in the season for his championship experience, the treatment of Thompson in this game felt like a scapegoat move.

With Dallas struggling to stay out of the play-in tournament, they need their key players in rhythm and engaged, not benched at crucial moments with little justification.

Kidd may have been trying to send a message, but blaming Thompson for a team-wide defensive collapse only exposes deeper coaching flaws.

The Mavericks’ real issues lie in the frontcourt, and until Davis, Lively, or Gafford return, no amount of guard rotations will fix their defensive woes.