Being traded to the Lakers hurt Luka Doncic to the core- there is no denying the fact, at least after watching how he reacted to the tribute video on April 9. But have you ever thought about those who stand on the opposite side of it? Something that might well get overlooked amid overwhelming emotions for Luka is, the entire situation was far from easy, emotionally, for the Dallas Mavericks players as well. The magnitude of adjustments they had to make was incredible. Take Mavs forward PJ Washington, for instance.

Last season, during the Mavs’ playoff round 1 game 3 against the Clippers, PJ went as far as picking a fight with Clippers guard Russell Westbrook when the latter fouled Luka and then shoved the Slovenian superstar. PJ was eventually ejected from the game, but was absolutely unapologetic for his actions. Rather, he boasted to ESPN, “Always got to protect 77 at all costs. So I mean obviously it was a hard foul and then he pushed him afterwards, so I was right there and I just had to step into it.” After Luka was traded, overnight, it became all the way from ‘protecting’ 77 to ‘guarding’ 77, isn’t it? And somehow, they all were probably yearning to come out of the situation.

So, one and a half months after the trade, the same PJ kind of burst out at the post-game press conference after a game against the 76ers where the inevitable “Fire Nico” chants broke out. “At the end of the day, the trade has happened. All that ‘Fire Nico’ stuff, we’re sick and tired of hearing it. We just want to go out there and play, and we need the fans to support us, no matter who’s on the floor. That’s just how I feel about it,” he had said. Understandably, PJ didn’t get very kind words from the online community, but can you really overlook the desperation here?

Yet, the emotions of the Mavs players remained very little talked about. The Dallas Mavericks didn’t just stumble into the 10th seed—they clawed their way there through injuries, shifting rotations, and some serious emotional whiplash. Imagine the toll of witnessing your home fanbase, in your home arena, cheering wildly for an opponent player. And if you think head coach Jason Kidd has been cool as ice through it all, think again. The man’s been holding the locker room together with duct tape, veteran wisdom, and an unshakable poker face—until now.

When asked about the emotional rollercoaster of the past two months, Kidd didn’t sugarcoat it during a post-practice press conference on April 14: “Yeah, it’s been a lot for everybody, emotionally and physically. But I think the group has done an incredible job to be in this position.”

That’s not a casual observation—it’s a window into what this team’s been going through. Because the Mavericks haven’t just been playing basketball; they’ve been playing survival. Injuries to key guys like Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and Klay Thompson left the squad in constant flux. Rotations changed by the week, bench players got tossed into the fire, and Kidd was left juggling lineups like a man trying to finish a puzzle with missing pieces.

The Mavs’ regular-season finale was a 132–97 beatdown from the Memphis Grizzlies—a game where most of Dallas’ top guns, including Davis, Thompson, P.J. Washington, and Dereck Lively, were all benched to rest or recover. It wasn’t about the scoreboard—it was about what’s next.

But that doesn’t mean the locker room was calm. Far from it. According to Kidd, this group hasn’t leaned on excuses or “woe is me” vibes. “We’ve never complained or felt sorry for ourselves. We come out and compete, play hard.” The energy is real. The effort? Never in question. But mentally? These guys are exhausted. The season’s been a grind, and now they’re being asked to find one more level for the play-in tournament.

Anthony Davis and company are trying to keep heads above water

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room (figuratively, of course)—Anthony Davis. Day-to-day with a left adductor strain, Davis sat out the finale. Same story with Klay Thompson (left foot), P.J. Washington (ankle), Dereck Lively II (stress fracture), and Brandon Williams (oblique). Oh! And in case you forgot, Kyrie Irving and O-Max Prosper are both done for the season.

That’s a whole lot of “game-time decision” energy headed into a do-or-die matchup with the Kings. But behind the curtain, the vibes are… complicated. Kidd isn’t throwing shade, but he’s not hiding his true feelings either. There’s a line between protecting players and needing them, and J-Kidd is walking it with surgical precision. He wants these guys healthy—but more than anything, he wants buy-in. He wants guys to go to war, bruises and all.

The truth is, this isn’t about who’s injured anymore. It’s about who’s ready to bleed for a win. While the big names navigate rehab and recovery, Naji Marshall has quietly become the emotional and statistical anchor. The man’s been hooping like his contract’s on fire—career-high 38 points vs. the Knicks, 22.5 PPG across a 12-game heater, and versatility that’s keeping Dallas above water.

If Kidd’s looking for emotional consistency in a chaotic locker room, he’s got it in Marshall. The guy isn’t flashy. He’s just solid. Exactly what the Mavs need right now. The play-in tournament is here. Dallas gets Sacramento on April 16. Win, and they’re one step closer to the playoffs. Lose, and it’s time to start the postmortem.

Jason Kidd knows what’s at stake—not just on the scoreboard but in the psyche of a team that’s been through it all this season. His calm delivery might hide it, but under the surface, this season’s taken a toll. And for the first time, he’s letting us see it. “Now we’re attempting to try to find a way to win on the road.” The fight starts now. And Kidd? He’s all in—emotions and all.